House of Commons Debates

VOLUME 148 ● NUMBER 427 ● 1st SESSION ● 42nd PARLIAMENT

OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Speaker: The Honourable CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 28573

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

The House met at 2 p.m. Married for 46 years, Jim and Mary not only raised a loving family but were the very definition of community service. Always willing to volunteer, in 1994, they saw a need and stepped up to champion the Kacey-Lynn Fund. Under their stewardship, the Prayer program is thriving and has grown to offer assistance to many families throughout the Niagara region with sick or disabled ● (1405) children. [English] Their generosity and caring spirits have been felt throughout our The Speaker: We will now have the singing of O Canada led community. It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Jim today by the pages. Dolan passed away on May 28. Jim will be greatly missed by his wife Mary, their children James, Kim, Scott and Tammy, as well as [Members sang the national anthem] his many grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Despite our loss, I am certain that Jim's legacy will live on STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS through the many people whose lives he touched. [Translation] *** D-DAY PUBLIC SAFETY Mr. Michel Boudrias (Terrebonne, BQ): Mr. Speaker, on Mr. (Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, CPC): June 5, 1944, at 9:15 p.m., Radio Londres alerted the French Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to mismanage the public safety of resistance that Operation Overlord was about to begin by broad- our country. Now they are considering a firearm ban in an attempt to casting the first stanza of Verlaine's poem Chanson d'automne: deal with gangs and gun violence. This plan will also fail as it The autumn's throbbing threatens licensed, law-abiding Canadian firearm owners and ignores Strings moan, sobbing Drone their dole; the obvious problem: criminals. Long-drawn and low, Each tremolo News flash: criminals already ignore the law. As gang violence Sears my soul. increased, Liberals failed to deliver funding to the police to combat it. As rural crime increased, Liberals turned their backs on rural The next day, the Normandy landings began. The brave soldiers, Canada. Their border security mismanagement has led to dangerous some as young as 18, came under intense enemy fire. Too many foreign criminals entering our country. What is worse, the Liberals young men fell on the beaches of Normandy, but their sacrifice freed are watering down sentences for some violent crimes. Europe from Nazi rule. Many units from Quebec, like the Régiment de la Chaudière, the Black Watch and the Régiment de Maison- The first step to address any problem is admitting that there is one. neuve, took part in the Normandy invasion. Right now, many Canadians understand that Liberals are actually the problem. On this day, we honour their sacrifice and their outstanding courage. They died for our freedom, which we so often take for The Conservatives have a plan to tackle crime by focusing on granted. criminals and gang violence. It is time to replace Liberal failures I thank all our veterans. Lest we forget. with Conservative action. *** *** [English] CORNER BROOK PULP AND PAPER MILL JIM DOLAN Ms. (Long Range Mountains, Lib.): Mr. Mr. (Niagara Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, in Speaker, my hometown of Corner Brook is the largest community in Niagara Centre you would be hard-pressed to find many people who the Long Range Mountains. The reason the town exists is the pulp do not know Jim or Mary Dolan. and paper mill, which has been an economic stimulator since 1925. 28574 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Statements by Members I was so proud to stand alongside mill manager, Darren Pelley, to 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY announce nearly $11 million from the strategic innovation fund for Corner Brook Pulp and Paper. The mill will use this investment to Mr. (Perth—Wellington, CPC): Mr. Speaker, June 6 install a new system to dry and use low-quality biomass to limit the marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Normandy invasions. need to cut trees for fuel. It will reduce waste sent to landfills, reduce Fourteen thousand Canadians landed at the beaches of Normandy water use by 50% and allow the mill to avoid burning tens of that morning, and by day's end 359 had fallen. In the coming weeks, thousands of barrels of oil each year. 5,000 more would die. We, as Canadians, owe a debt of gratitude to the heroes of D-Day that we will never be able to fully repay. This funding benefits the environment and strengthens the forestry and paper product trades in all of Newfoundland, ensuring our forest Among those heroes was a young man named Art Boon. At age sector will continue to be a leader in my province for years to come. 19, Art had already been in the war effort for four years, having Corner Brook was a mill town, is a mill town and will continue to enlisted at just 15 years of age. He would go on to participate in the be a mill town because of this investment. liberation of Holland and would serve his country in uniform for decades to follow. *** [Translation] Today, Art Boon is back in Europe. Where he arrived 75 years ago LAURIER—SAINTE-MARIE to liberate a continent, he returns once more as a hero. History must never forget the heroes of D-Day. Today and always, we honour Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie, NDP): Mr. those who have served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Speaker, I will likely have a chance to speak in the House again, but We will remember them. since this is my last official member's statement, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to a number of people. *** I want to thank all of the members of the big parliamentary family, including my colleagues, the staff, the pages and the press. I will CULTURAL UNITY miss you. I want to thank the community groups and organizations in my Mr. Gordie Hogg (South Surrey—White Rock, Lib.): Mr. riding for their creativity and their commitment to making Laurier— Speaker, we Canadians are generally accepting and tolerant people. Sainte-Marie a place where everyone is able to live a good life. We celebrate our multicultural and pluralistic society, we value our diversity and we live in relative harmony with many different I thank my team, Jean-François, Ariane, Christine and Marianne, traditions, religions and cultures. and everyone else who has come through my office. I thank Jennifer Pedersen, Lili and Roxane. Good luck, Roxane. Throughout the world, most people, like us, care about the same I sincerely thank the people of Laurier—Sainte-Marie for their things. They care about family, friends and their communities and trust, their kindness and for inspiring me. they care about having a better life for themselves and for those they care about, whether it is better physically, emotionally or spiritually. Finally, I want to thank my husband, Germain Bélanger. We have By recognizing this sameness, we recognize a value that unites us. been together for over 40 years and he is the wind beneath my wings. While multiculturalism and pluralism tend to emphasize our *** differences, we can celebrate our sameness from our diverse traditions, religions and cultural beliefs, and that sameness can help ● (1410) us to understand our complex, difficult and sometimes disparate [English] world from our common aspirations, a place not of differences but a STATUS OF WOMEN place of connections and hope. Mr. (Winnipeg South, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Maya Angelou once said, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, *** without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” LEVI OAKES This week in Vancouver, thousands of women and people of all Mr. (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des- genders are doing just that. They are standing up at Women Deliver Soeurs, Lib.): and some of its side events: Feminists Deliver and the pre- conference on indigenous women and girls. [Member spoke in Mohawk and provided the following text:] Thanks to their tireless work, the women's movement has made some hard-fought gains. While some would like to roll back those Levi Oakeskénha tehonwaká:nere ne raohwá:tsire, wa’thatsha’tí: gains, our government will remain focused on leaving a lasting ia’ke tsiahiàksera tsi nahe ratironhia'kehronòn:ke shiiotohétston. legacy for women and girls, a legacy of empowerment, a legacy of Karonhià:ke tethakà:nere ó:nen. Ronkwe’tiióhne, tóhske, tahnon gender equality, a legacy of change that will benefit us all. raweientehtòn:ne ahaiéntho. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28575

Statements by Members Ohnakénkha Kanien’kehá:ka Code Talker roiio'téhkwe ne tekení- We are investing $300 million to build a funding platform and haton shiwaterí:io. Tsi tewateriioskó:wa tékeni watòn:tha, wà:ratste’ bring together the granting, philanthropic and investment worlds and onkwehonwehnéha ahshakowennohetstánion ne tehotirihwaienawá: make Canada the leading donor to women's rights and gender kon ronatenróhshon. Iah ónhka tehotitokèn:se oh nahò:ten rotithar- equality organizations in the world. ahkwèn:ne ne Code Talkers. [Translation] Akwé:kon waharihwáhsehte’ tsi nihoié:ren íhsi nón:we ne tsiá:ta niwáhsen niiohserá:ke nikarì:wes. Akwáh í:ken tsi enhonwaia’tí: sake’ ne raohwá:tsire tahnon raonkwe'ta'shòn:a Í:kehre aonsahih- Over the next 15 years, we hope to allocate $1 billion to gender sennakará:tate’ énhskat ó:ya nenkahá:wi’te’ né:’e tsi katá:tis ne equality. In addition to funding, we will play a leadership role. When owén:na nè:ne wà:ratste’ ne káti aón:ton akwé:kon skén:nen we act as a driver of change, other countries are bound to follow. aetewanonhtonniónsheke. *** [Mohawk text interpreted as follows:] Mr. Speaker, Levi Oakes crossed over the clouds last Tuesday. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY There, there was his family when he passed away. He is looking down now from sky world. He was a good man, truly, and he was Mr. (Bourassa, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the good at gardening. riding of Bourassa, which I represent in the House of Commons, is teeming with talent, knowledge and expertise. Levi was the last Mohawk code talker; none remain. He used his indigenous language during World War II. He used a secret code to For the second year in a row, on International Women's Day on protect his family. No one broke the code talker's code. March 8, 2019, I had the privilege of awarding a certificate of He will very much be missed by his people and his family. I want honour and merit and recognizing eight women from the riding of to honour his name again on one more occasion, by using the Bourassa. I am absolutely delighted to welcome them to Ottawa language that he used so that we could live in peace. today. The recipients are Micheline Cantave, Gaetana Colella, Julie Demers, Kerline François, Khadija Jyad, Diane Lecouëdic, Sister *** Pierre-Anne Mandato and Brunilda Reyes. ● (1415) I ask my hon. colleagues to join me in extending a warm welcome STATUS OF WOMEN to these eight extraordinary women. Mrs. (Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is masquerading as a feminist, willing to *** tear down any woman who opposes him. As the member for Whitby said when she ran afoul of him, “He was yelling that I didn't appreciate him, that he'd given me so much”. 2019 GENERAL ELECTION Earlier this week, the Prime Minister stated that the history of Mr. Alupa Clarke (Beauport—Limoilou, CPC): Mr. Speaker, women's rights shows that every step forward is met by another push this Liberal government is more centralist, paternalistic and, quite back, but it is his divisive actions and words that have pushed back simply, arrogant than any other Liberal government in the history of progress for all women. our federation. It is one thing to describe oneself as a feminist and claim to value gender equality, but quite another to walk the talk, just ask the For the past four years, the government has repeatedly shown that former attorney general and the former president of the Treasury it is out of touch with the spirit of federalism. It refuses to honour the Board. tradition of appointing a political lieutenant for Quebec and instead made a minister from Toronto responsible for the economic If a woman disagrees with the Prime Minister, she can forget development of our province. It is imposing political conditions on about civil discourse. He will undermine and then dismiss her. federal transfers. It refuses to give Quebec greater powers in the area Canadian women are not being fooled by his virtue signalling. This of immigration. It refuses to respond favourably to the National Prime Minister is not as advertised. Assembly's request for a single tax return, something all Quebeckers want. *** STATUS OF WOMEN I could go on and on. Following in the footsteps of founding Ms. (Ottawa West—Nepean, Lib.): Mr. fathers Cartier and MacDonald, we the Conservatives will continue Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to talk about the real and tangible to properly honour federalism. In 2008, we recognized that way this government is improving the lives of women and girls. I am Quebeckers form a nation within a united Canada. talking about the equality fund that our government announced this week. To tackle gender issues, we have to act as a team, because In 2019, when we form the government, we will respond together everyone achieves more. favourably to the demands of Quebeckers and Quebec. 28576 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Statements by Members [English] Canadians for getting groceries, driving the kids to hockey or even running small businesses. PITT MEADOWS—MAPLE RIDGE Mr. Dan Ruimy (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it has been almost four years since I first took my seat in the House. It has been privilege to serve the constituents of Pitt In reality, the carbon tax is a money grab. The Prime Minister has Meadows—Maple Ridge. I have loved building the relationships to pay for his consecutive deficits and reckless spending, so he is that are so important to understanding the needs of my communities. making hard-working Canadians pay for it under the guise of a climate plan. If the Prime Minister really cared about the There are groups like Pathfinder Youth Centre Society, which environment, he would not be exempting Canada's largest emitters supports at-risk youth, and Alisha's Wish Child & Youth Advocacy from the carbon tax and he certainly would not be spending more Centre, which provides services to children and youth who are time flying to his vacations than most Canadians have actually spent victims of abuse. on a vacation in the last five years. Groups such as Alouette River Management Society, KEEPS and Watershed Watch work hard to restore fish habitat, advocate education on our diverse wildlife and try to find ways to reverse The Liberal government is nowhere near meeting its climate goals the damage to our fish and salmon stock. and now we are at the point where the United States is closer to reaching its targets than Canada. The sunny ways are over and we Our Seniors Network is a group of individuals and organizations are left with a money-grabbing carbon tax. The Liberals' climate plan with a shared goal of providing support and resources for our is not as advertised. seniors. There are all the businesses and non-profits that hire summer students so they can gain valuable experience. *** When we both build and sustain relationships with the grassroots people in our communities, we can work together to create better outcomes. From the words of Helen Keller, alone we can do so little; CANADA CHILD BENEFIT together we can do so much. *** Mr. Randy Boissonnault (Edmonton Centre, Lib.): Mr. ● (1420) Speaker, when I knock on doors in my riding and meet families INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS with young children, I ask them about the Liberal baby bonus and Ms. (Vancouver East, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Canada they tell me they love it. committed deliberate race, identity and gender-based genocide against indigenous peoples and we can see the impact of this in every sphere of life: the violence, the loss of life, the child Early in our mandate, families in Edmonton Centre hoped that the apprehensions, the marginalization, the deliberate exclusion, the Canada child benefit would do better for them, and it has. In April poverty, the homelessness rate, the lack of protection, the Indian Act, alone, we issued over 7,000 payments to over 12,000 children, for a the sex-based discrimination, the racism and it goes on. This is total of $4.6 million into the riding. That is over $55 million tax-free Canada's shame. directly to Edmonton Centre families each year. If we are to show that we have actually heard family members and survivors, we must have an indigenous-led action plan, with a dedicated budget and a timeline for implementation, that is publicly Three years into the program, we have lifted 17,000 children in accountable. We must address indigenous land titles and indigenous Edmonton out of poverty. That is equivalent to a Rogers Place full of people's right to self-sufficiency and self-governance. children out of poverty. When we add their parents, it is a We have a duty to address this historic and intergenerational Commonwealth Stadium full of people able to make ends meet. trauma, social and economic marginalization and the ongoing dismissal of their expertise. The calls for justice are not just recommendations, but are legal imperatives that must be implemen- Across Canada, we have reduced poverty from 13% to 9%. What ted. do we call that in Edmonton? We call that better than advertised. *** THE ENVIRONMENT The Speaker: Order, please. There are likely to be disagreements Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands here, and there should be, but we cannot all speak at the same time and Rideau Lakes, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's sunny and we should show respect for this place, for each other and for climate plan was supposed to save the environment and boost the different opinions. Members should not all speak at once and economy. Well, it did neither. In reality, all it did was punish interrupt. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28577

Oral Questions ORAL QUESTIONS government is causing real pain and real suffering for Canadians. He has failed to appoint a new ambassador. He is refusing to pick up ● (1425) the phone and call the Chinese premier. Canadian lives are at risk [English] and agriculture producers are suffering. INTERNATIONAL TRADE When will the Prime Minister finally start treating this crisis with Hon. Candice Bergen (Portage—Lisgar, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the seriousness, urgency and attention it requires? the Prime Minister's failures when it comes to dealing with the [Translation] Government of China are escalating, and his gross mismanagement of our relationship with China will now hurt even more Canadians. Hon. Mélanie Joly (Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying This time, Canadian meat producers are being punished, after that the relationship with China is important. That is why this file is a China's customs agency announced that it is going to dramatically priority for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister. increase inspections and open all containers of Canadian meat and meat products. We are particularly concerned about the unjustified detention of Canadians in China. That is why we established an international Does the Prime Minister not realize that Canadian producers are coalition of countries that support our position. We have also signed suffering as a result of his failures? What is he prepared to do about a joint statement with the United States calling for the immediate this? release of the Canadians held in China. [Translation] *** Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of Agriculture and Agri- Food, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, we are working very closely with INTERNATIONAL TRADE producers and the entire agriculture industry. Our main objective is to reopen markets in China, which we are doing in various ways in Mr. (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC): Mr. Speaker, collaboration with my colleagues at the Department of Foreign the Liberals are all talk and no action when it comes to the China Affairs and the Department of International Trade and my provincial crisis, which keeps getting worse. The Chinese government is now counterparts. targeting the pork industry. Two factories had their permits suspended, and each container of Canadian pork is now being We were informed that China would be increasing pork heavily scrutinized by the Chinese government. inspections. That is why we are encouraging all members of the industry to be extremely vigilant as they continue exporting. What are the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture doing to protect our market access? They are doing absolutely nothing. *** [English] When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for our ranchers and farmers? FOREIGN AFFAIRS Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of Agriculture and Agri- Hon. Candice Bergen (Portage—Lisgar, CPC): As if it is the Food, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, our team is working non-stop across the producers' fault, Mr. Speaker. That is absolutely incorrect. country to fix this situation. Our priority is reopening the Chinese Five months ago, former Liberal cabinet minister John McCallum markets for agricultural products. had to resign in shame as our ambassador to China. We are now in We have increased our support for farmers through the advance June and the Prime Minister has not appointed a replacement. payments program. Farmers will be able to submit their application Canadians are being detained on bogus charges, soybean producers as of June 10. They already had access to $400,000 loan advances are facing new barriers, canola producers are having shipments and will now be eligible for $1 million. As for canola producers, they blocked, and now the Chinese government is going after our meat are entitled to $500,000 interest free. producers. This is going from bad to worse. [English] Why has the Prime Minister not appointed an ambassador to China? The Speaker: I want to remind my hon. friend from Prince Albert that I can hear him from way down there, but I would prefer to hear Hon. Mélanie Joly (Minister of Tourism, Official Languages him only when he has the floor, of course, as he would understand. and La Francophonie, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, our relationship with China is extremely important. We are very concerned with the The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable. detention of Canadians in China, which is why we are rallying a number of friendly countries. Also, we were able to make sure that [Translation] we had a joint statement with the United States, calling for the Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC): Mr. Speaker, immediate release of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig and the canola crisis is not about quality. There is no issue with the rejecting their wrongful detention. quality of Canadian pork and yet the Liberal government stubbornly Hon. Candice Bergen (Portage—Lisgar, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it refuses to deal with this crisis politically. As the director of the China is not working. This relationship and the impact are getting worse. Institute of the University of Alberta clearly said, “I think it is veiled The Prime Minister's failure when it comes to the Chinese political retaliation”. 28578 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Oral Questions Why is the Minister of Agriculture hiding behind a delegation of Out-of-court settlements are reached through a fully independent experts that is incapable of going to China, and so-called process within the Canada Revenue Agency in collaboration with the administrative errors? Department of Justice to ensure the integrity of the tax system. Why is the Prime Minister refusing to appoint an ambassador and file a complaint with the WTO? While we understand that the rules can be used appropriately in certain circumstances, we are concerned about the lack of ● (1430) transparency associated with them. That is why the minister has Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of Agriculture and Agri- directed the CRA to review its processes to allow for greater Food, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, this is cause for celebration because I transparency on the reasons why— rarely agree with my colleague. The quality of our Canadian products is absolutely not at issue. We offer agricultural products of The Speaker: Order. The hon. member for Berthier—Maski- the highest quality and our inspection system is very reliable and nongé. internationally renowned.

Our representative raised this issue at the last general council of *** the World Trade Organization. *** CANADIAN HERITAGE [English] Ms. Ruth Ellen Brosseau (Berthier—Maskinongé, NDP): Mr. TAXATION Speaker, this government supports big business to the detriment of Mr. (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP): Mr. SMEs, workers and particularly taxpayers. Speaker, the Liberal government has created the most unequal tax system in the industrialized world. The Liberal system of tax havens Today, Groupe TVA announced 68 layoffs. It is saying loud and and tax loopholes lets millionaires and Canada's most profitable clear that the unfair competition from web giants is the main reason companies get off the hook from paying their fair share. for these job losses. The NPD has been calling on the government Canadians have just found out that the revenue minister has let for a long time to force web giants to pay their fair share of taxes. yet another millionaire tax evader off the hook through the KPMG offshore tax scam. The Liberals have created one set of rules for Why does the Liberal government not take action to force web millionaires and another for everyone else. giants to pay their fair share of taxes? Why do the Liberals always reward wealthy tax dodgers? Why do they not make them pay their fair share? Hon. Pablo Rodriguez (Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, our thoughts are with the Hon. (Minister of Transport, Lib.): Mr. employees and their families. The loss of even just one job is a Speaker, our government is firmly committed to fighting tax tragedy, particularly when it affects the culture and communications evaders. Out-of-court settlements are reached through a fully sector. independent process within the Canada Revenue Agency, in collaboration with the Department of Justice, to ensure the integrity of the tax system. The NDP should be asking the Conservatives that question. They sat on their hands for 10 years while they were in office. They did While we understand that settlements can be used appropriately in absolutely nothing, but we are addressing the problem. There is a certain circumstances, we are concerned about the lack of committee that is looking into this. We are going to legislate and transparency associated with them. That is why the minister has ensure that, in the end, all those who participate in the system directed the CRA to review its processes to allow for greater contribute to the system, with no exceptions. transparency on the reasons why a settlement is reached. [Translation] [English] Ms. Ruth Ellen Brosseau (Berthier—Maskinongé, NDP): Mr. Speaker, wealthy KPMG clients accused of using a fraudulent Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP): Mr. scheme to avoid paying their fair share of taxes were granted Speaker, the Liberals have been in power for four years. It is about amnesty by none other than the revenue minister. time they took some responsibility for that. In the past, people and large companies paid equal amounts of income tax. Since then, This is not the first time KPMG clients have obtained a lenient Liberal and Conservative governments have shifted the balance in settlement from the federal government. This settlement is proof of favour of the richest companies, and people have been forced to the federal government's total lack of transparency. make up the difference. The Liberals and the Conservatives seem to When will the government take action, stop giving the wealthiest always put the profits of the wealthiest ahead of people trying to get Canadians special treatment, and force them to pay their fair share of ahead. taxes? Hon. Marc Garneau (Minister of Transport, Lib.): Mr. Why do the Liberals not have the courage to make sure the richest Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evaders. in Canada, including the web giants, pay their fair share? June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28579

Oral Questions ● (1435) [English] Hon. Pablo Rodriguez (Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, once again, the question INTERPROVINCIAL TRADE should be asked of the Conservatives. For 10 full years, they did nothing. On our side, we work. We put in place a panel that will give Mr. (Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, recommendations, and we will change the law, a law that predates CPC): Mr. Speaker, Canadians are sick and tired of the protection- the Internet. While they did nothing, we will make sure that anybody ism within their own country and the Liberal government's failure to who participates in this system contributes to the system, without do anything about it. We are one country from sea to sea to sea, and any exception. Canadians should be able to buy and sell goods between provinces. *** [Translation] In the Prime Minister's free trade plan, half the agreement is 130 pages of exceptions. It is time for action, not more Liberal failures. INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Mr. (Richmond—Arthabaska, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Premiers are stepping up for genuine interprovincial trade. When yesterday, all parties at the National Assembly of Quebec spoke out will the Prime Minister do the same? against the paternalistic and centralist approach of this Liberal government. All parties of the Government of Quebec condemned Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Minister of Infrastruc- the fact that this government wants to try to bypass the government ture and Communities, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I hope there are many to allocate funding to the municipalities. That is unacceptable. This Canadians watching TV today, because only the Conservatives can law has been on the books since 1867. pretend that Ottawa knows best. In 10 years, Mr. Harper's Why are the Prime Minister and the Liberal government so government failed to move interprovincial trade forward. disrespectful— The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Infrastructure and Commu- The Leader of the Opposition's promise is more empty words and nities. more big promises, with no plan to deliver. Canadians have seen that Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Minister of Infrastruc- movie when it comes to the environment: all talk, no plan. ture and Communities, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague opposite that respecting the provinces means investing We will continue to make sure that we have free trade between in the provinces. That is why we are proud to have announced an Canadian provinces. investment of over $500 million in the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel. We are proud of our investment in users' safety. We are proud Mr. John Barlow (Foothills, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Prime of our investment to modernize 's critical transportation Minister has failed miserably when it comes to free trade between infrastructure, to bring it out of the 20th century and into the 21st provinces. In fact, he has fought against it in court. Half the Liberals' century. Canada free trade agreement is a list of exemptions for things that We will continue to invest with the provinces and across the cannot be traded. This is not free trade. In fact, much like the Prime country to improve the quality of life of Canadians. Minister, his no-trade agreement is not as advertised. Mr. Alain Rayes (Richmond—Arthabaska, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I am not making this up. His Prime Minister told the Federation of Interprovincial trade barriers are costing the Canadian economy Canadian Municipalities last Friday that he was prepared to bypass $130 billion. When will the Prime Minister get out of the way and the provinces to get his way. allow free trade between provinces? Act M-30 makes it clear that any agreement regarding municipal ● (1440) infrastructure must go through the Government of Quebec. This Prime Minister has no respect for provincial jurisdiction. He is a Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Minister of Infrastruc- centralizing and paternalistic Prime Minister. ture and Communities, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, again, for viewers at Does the minister agree with his Prime Minister about bypassing home, that is the “Ottawa knows best” side of the House. Let me the Government of Quebec, yes or no? remind Canadians who are watching that beyond failed promises, the Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Minister of Infrastruc- Leader of the Opposition remains consistent on one thing alone, and ture and Communities, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing I Canadians know that. Be it on the environment, the economy or the know for sure, it is that we heard the Leader of the Opposition say unity of our country, he has no real plan for Canada and for yesterday that “Ottawa knows best”. Those are the leader of the Canadians. official opposition's own words. We have a plan to move goods across Canada. We have a plan to However, we think Canadians know best. We think users know grow the economy. We have one million jobs to show. best. That is why we are going to keep investing in public transit and green, modern, resilient infrastructure across the country. We are going to keep investing for Canadians. Some hon. members: Oh, oh! 28580 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Oral Questions The Speaker: Order, order. There might be more viewers tonight The Speaker: Order. It is very hard to hear. for the Raptors game. I do not know. I think we need to listen to each other. This show needs to improve its decorum a little. *** *** [Translation] NATURAL RESOURCES Mr. (Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, THE ENVIRONMENT CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Kawarthas lost 300 jobs when the Liberals killed the west to east pipeline. Tens of thousands of jobs have been Mr. Robert Aubin (Trois-Rivières, NDP): Mr. Speaker, earlier lost in Alberta and across the country because of Liberal indecision this week, under the pretext of giving us an update, the Liberal and a lack of planning on TMX. government proudly stated that the Canada Infrastructure Bank Conservatives have a plan. We will work up front with the would be involved in the high-frequency train project. provinces and indigenous communities on an energy corridor, a plan that will lower assessment costs, improve certainty for investors and That means that if the Liberal Party ever moves forward one day, create jobs. it will guarantee lucrative profits for its friends instead of providing affordable services to the public. Through its public climate bank, When will the Prime Minister quit attacking the energy sector and the NDP will ensure the best value for money. allow job-creating projects to move forward? Hon. Amarjeet Sohi (Minister of Natural Resources, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member and members of the Conservative Party Can the Liberals try to imagine a day where they fight the climate of Canada were really concerned about the energy sector and emergency without lining the pockets of their friends? pipeline projects, they would not have voted to kill and end the Hon. Marc Garneau (Minister of Transport, Lib.): Mr. process we have put in place to move forward on the Trans Mountain Speaker, once again my colleague is raising the issue of the high- pipeline expansion. frequency train. He does that every week. We are consulting in a meaningful way with indigenous communities, and we are scheduled to make a decision on this I am pleased to announce that we will continue to work on this project by June 18. very serious project that could have an impact on many Canadians. Mrs. (Lakeland, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Liberals already killed two pipelines outright, and zero new ones are My colleague should know that our government is doing its due in service. Getting the Trans Mountain expansion built will lower diligence on this project. When we have something to announce, we sky-high gas prices in B.C. and get western and Atlantic Canadians will announce it. back to work. It will create thousands of jobs outside of Alberta and benefit all of Canada. It will support the 100,000 jobs in Ontario and Quebec that depend on oil and gas. ***

The Liberals already approved it once in 2016, and their mistakes ● (1445) have held it up. The majority of Canadians and indigenous communities want the Trans Mountain expansion. This time, what [English] exactly is the plan for construction to start on June 19, and when will it be in service? INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS Hon. Amarjeet Sohi (Minister of Natural Resources, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, this is a good opportunity to remind the members of the Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP): Mr. Speaker, official opposition that their broken system led to failure on northern provisions in Bill S-3 would eliminate the discrimination against gateway. Their broken system led to the exclusion of the impact on first nations women and their descendants once and for all. All that is marine shipping and its impact on the marine environment from the needed is for this self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister to bring NEB review. those provisions into force with an order in council. It has been 18 We are fixing the system that has led to failures. We are engaging months since this bill passed, and there is still no action. with indigenous communities in a meaningful way, in a two-way dialogue, to ensure that we are listening to their concerns. We are Will the Prime Minister get on with it and immediately enact offering accommodations on the issues they have identified. We are recommendation 1.3 of the calls for justice so that the 270,000 first moving forward on this project. nations women and their descendants can finally be free of this sex- The Speaker: I have to ask the hon. member for Chilliwack— based discrimination? Hope and the hon. member for Lakeland not to interrupt when someone else has the floor. I would ask all members to listen when Hon. (Minister of Crown-Indigenous Rela- someone else has the floor. tions, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, gender equality is a fundamental human right, and Bill S-3 eliminates sex-based discrimination from the Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Indian Act. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28581

Oral Questions Ministerial special representative Claudette Dumont-Smith and AUDITOR GENERAL OF CANADA departmental officials have held over 200 engagement sessions with communities and have received over 100 consultation reports from our partners on Indian Act registration reform, including recom- Mr. (Barrie—Innisfil, CPC): Mr. Speaker, like mendations for an implementation plan to remove the 1951 cut-off. everything else with the current Prime Minister, he says one thing She is currently finalizing her report. We look forward to her final and does another. The so-called transparent and accountable-by- recommendations, and I will be reporting to Parliament within the default Liberals are at it again. This time it is not redacted documents next couple— or withholding documents for Liberal cover-ups and scandals they are engaged in. This time they are trying to prevent the Auditor The Speaker: The hon. member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint- General from doing his work to hold these Liberals to account, Charles. because for the first time in Canadian history, he will be unable to *** complete audits as a result of the Prime Minister's refusal to fund his important work. Why? [Translation] PUBLIC SAFETY Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, Hon. (President of the Treasury Board and CPC): Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Public Safety and Minister of Digital Government, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, first permit Emergency Preparedness did not listen carefully to my question. I me to reconfirm our deep appreciation and respect for the work of hope he does today. the Auditor General and his staff. We know that the Canada Border Services Agency intercepted 238 individuals, that 27 of them were inadmissible and that three I have to ask if the Conservatives are gluttons for punishment. Let were members of Mexican cartels. That is what we know. us look at the accounts. They cut the budget of the Auditor General. The problem is that there are 400 other individuals, Mexicans or The Liberals voted against that. We added $41 million to the budget foreigners travelling on Mexican passports, with ties to organized of the Auditor General. The Conservatives voted against that. What crime, who have come to Canada and are now operating in our is so difficult to understand? We support the Auditor General. communities. My question is simple. Is the minister taking steps to arrest and ● (1450) deport them? [English] Mr. John Brassard (Barrie—Innisfil, CPC): I asked why, but Hon. Ralph Goodale (Minister of Public Safety and Emer- there was no answer, so I will tell you why, Mr. Speaker. It is gency Preparedness, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the figures the hon. because the Liberals know that they are failing at just about gentleman refers to are anonymous. They are unverified. There is no everything they are doing, except looking after their well-connected, obvious source for those allegations. well-heeled friends while attacking anyone, including the Auditor General, who would expose the rot within the Liberal Party. At no The fact of the matter is that the CBSA has reported the hard data time in Canadian history have any auditors general ever said that both to me and to the parliamentary committee, and the hon. they could not do the job and would have to cancel audits for a lack gentleman knows very well what those figures are. If there is anyone of funding, until now. in Canada who is inadmissible to this country on the basis of criminality or any other cause, the CBSA and the RCMP take the appropriate steps to investigate and remove them. Is it not true that the Prime Minister is afraid of the truth of his [Translation] failures being exposed, and that is the reason he has moved in to Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, silence the Auditor Genera? CPC): Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his answer. We know that people were intercepted. The issue now is whether 400 Mexican cartel members are actually operating here in Canada. Hon. Joyce Murray (President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, of all the I have another question for the minister. Can he confirm that reports written by the Auditor General in this mandate, over 70% Mexican cartels are currently selling drugs in Canada and that they were directly related to the failures of Conservative policy, and we are very active, yes or no? will be through that batch soon. [English] Hon. Ralph Goodale (Minister of Public Safety and Emer- gency Preparedness, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman has I want to thank the member for giving us multiple opportunities to continued for days to repeat the same unfounded, unverified, remind this House of the muzzling of scientists, the cutting of the anonymous allegation. If he has any proof, if he has any evidence long-form census and the obstruction during the previous govern- that in any way supports the allegation he has made, he should stop ment. Where was this member when his party voted to cut the budget the rhetoric and submit it to the RCMP. of the AG? 28582 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Oral Questions [Translation] fighting climate change is the challenge of our generation. That is why we are taking real action. EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE Ms. Brigitte Sansoucy (Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, NDP): Mr. Could the Minister of Environment please update the House on Speaker, I have asked our self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister the actions our government is taking to fight climate change and many times to reform his sexist EI program. This program is failing protect our environment? far too many workers, and especially women workers. Fifty percent of men are eligible for benefits, but just 35.2% of women, many of Hon. Catherine McKenna (Minister of Environment and them mothers, are eligible. Workers are tired of the Liberals' inaction Climate Change, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for and want a government that is on their side. his advocacy to protect the environment. I would like to wish everyone across Canada a happy World Environment Day. When will the Liberals take action and reform this sexist EI program? We understand that taking action to protect the environment and Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Families, Children and tackle climate change is good for the environment, is good for the Social Development, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am very happy for the economy and is good for our kids. It is unfortunate that Conservative opportunity to answer this question. politicians do not understand that. Since 2015, we have asserted many times that the EI regime is essential to middle-class families, which is why we have improved it The Leader of the Opposition says that he knows best, that Ottawa in many ways. We made maternity, parental, caregiver and knows best. What the Conservatives know best is how to do nothing compassionate care benefits more flexible and more generous. We on the environment and nothing on climate change. also created the Canada child benefit, which predominantly helps women, mothers, across Canada by helping nine out of 10 families Today, we announced $15 million to support Forests Ontario, to and lifting 300,000 children out of poverty every month. support 50 million trees being planted in Ontario. That is good for the environment, it is good for the climate— [English] Ms. (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, NDP): Mr. ● (1455) Speaker, despite the Liberals so-called feminist cred, they have done nothing for women who need to access EI. The Speaker: The hon. member for Lévis—Lotbinière.

Only one-third of unemployed women can access employment *** insurance. When they finish their maternity leave, they have to work hundreds of hours to become eligible again. A growing number of [Translation] women are stuck in precarious employment and cannot access EI. GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES Women in Canada are paying the price of an EI system that discriminates against them. Mr. (Lévis—Lotbinière, CPC): Mr. Speaker, after giving Loblaws $12 million, this Liberal government is in hot Why have the Liberals failed to deliver for working women and water again for showering $50 million on a handful of Canadian what will they do to fix this injustice? venture capital funds. Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have more However, two of the three winning funds that applied to the time to talk about our investments through the EI system that are program said they were not in particularly dire need of Ottawa's supportive of gender equality. money. That is totally backwards. This is a gross injustice to those We are in 2019. Gender equality is a key feature of our economic who really need this money. growth. We have introduced a new parental sharing benefit that gives five extra weeks to parents that share their EI benefits, therefore Why does the Liberal government not just mind its own business? encouraging greater equal participation of mothers and fathers. Why is it giving money to investment funds that do not even need it? We are in 2019. We look forward to working more for women and Mr. Joël Lightbound (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister mothers across Canada. of Finance, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to get this opportunity to remind the House that giving money to those who *** do not need it is a Conservative specialty. THE ENVIRONMENT Mr. Mike Bossio (Hastings—Lennox and Addington, Lib.): For 10 years, they lavished handouts and tax breaks on the Mr. Speaker, today is World Environment Day, a day for wealthy. They doubled the TFSA limit. I wonder how many people encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our in my colleague's riding had $11,000 left over at the end of the year environment. to put into a TFSA. We changed all that and chose an approach that works. We have cut poverty in Canada by 20% by introducing the While Conservative politicians still have no plan to tackle climate Canada child benefit and lowering taxes for the middle class. This is change, our government knows that protecting our environment and a plan that works. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28583

Oral Questions [English] Two weeks ago, during a very candid moment, the minister Mr. (Banff—Airdrie, CPC): Mr. Speaker, under admitted what she was trying to do. She said, “if you repeat it, if you the Liberals, the national debt is growing by over $2 million an hour, say it louder, if that is your talking point, people will totally believe yet it is not stopping them from finding new ways to squander it.” Canadians' hard-earned tax dollars. First, the Liberals gave Loblaws $12 million for fridges. Now it is Canadians are smarter than that. Will the minister now admit that giving $50 million to an investment fund that when asked if it her plan— needed the money, said “No, but it's great to have it”. Those are words that most Canadian small businesses would only dream of The Speaker: Order, please. The hon. Minister of Environment. being able to say. Hon. Catherine McKenna (Minister of Environment and Why are the Liberals handing out money to giant companies that Climate Change, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, when we are talking about literally do not need it, instead of helping small businesses by talking points, look at the other side. Who is reading the talking reducing taxes and cutting red tape? points about how they are going to do less and less to protect the Mr. Joël Lightbound (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister environment and tackle climate change? of Finance, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am glad to rise in the House to remind the member opposite that our plan, unlike theirs for 10 years, We are committed to taking action to tackle climate change. We has been working for Canadians. While the Conservatives were have created one million jobs. While we are doing it, we are making giving tax break after tax break to the wealthiest, we decided to take life affordable. a different approach and give more to those who needed it most. We have reduced taxes for the middle class. We have made the At the end of the day, we all have an obligation. On World Canada child benefit the most progressive social policy in a Environment Day, I would ask all Canadians to think about how we generation, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of kids out of can tackle the biggest challenge of our generation, climate change, poverty and reduced poverty in the country by 20%. and how we can do it in a way that grows our economy and creates good jobs for Canadians. I know that was never the policy intent of the Conservatives. That was never their intent to reduce inequalities in the country. We are taking that very seriously. ***

*** ● (1500) [Translation] [Translation] THE ENVIRONMENT Mr. Joël Godin (Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, CPC): Mr. Speak- CANADIAN HERITAGE er, I have asked the Minister of Environment several times to tell Canadians the truth about the Paris targets. Why is she refusing to Mr. Pierre Nantel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, NDP): Mr. answer and be transparent? Speaker, Google spent $47 million on lobbying to roll back We know that this government's so-called environmental plan is copyright in Europe. Here in Canada, the Liberal government is not working. The government has to take its head out of the sand. It leaving the door wide open to giants such as Facebook, Google and must be honest and confirm that the Paris targets will not be met. Netflix. The government says nobody gets a free ride. Give me a break. It has been singing the same tune for four years now. I have a very simple question. When will this Liberal government clearly say to Canadians that Canada will not meet its Paris targets? The consequences are very real. Today, TVA announced it is Hon. Catherine McKenna (Minister of Environment and cutting 68 jobs because of Liberal favouritism and the government's Climate Change, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear the refusal to ensure a level playing field for everyone. Conservatives' questions. I want to wish them a happy World Environment Day and ask them if they will stand with us and vote in favour of our motion on the climate emergency. We must take I am ashamed of Parliament for handing our culture, our immediate action on climate change and accept that we must meet democracy and our jobs over to Big Brother in the states on a our Paris Agreement targets. silver platter. The Liberals have not done a thing for four years. Will they vote with or against Canadians? Why not? God dammit! [English] Hon. (Abbotsford, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Hon. Pablo Rodriguez (Minister of Canadian Heritage and climate plan is a massive failure. In fact, every expert, including the Multiculturalism, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, my colleague is in fine form minister's own department, says the that the Liberals are not going to today. As I said earlier, he should be saying those things to the meet their Paris targets. The minister continues to deny the truth and Conservatives, who were in power for 10 years and did absolutely mislead Canadians. nothing. 28584 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Oral Questions Since taking office, we have created a committee that is in the Hon. Amarjeet Sohi (Minister of Natural Resources, Lib.): Mr. process of analyzing all of this in order to eventually change the law. Speaker, our government is supporting clean energy projects that are We will have one system that will be the same for everyone and will reducing emissions and creating good, well-paying middle-class ensure that everyone who participates in the system contributes to jobs. However, it has become clear that because of the agreement the system. that Manitoba Hydro proposed with indigenous communities, No government has done more for culture than our government. Manitoba Hydro was forced to cancel that agreement by the Manitoba government. Mr. Pierre Nantel: You only have a month left before it's over! The Speaker: Order. Let me remind the hon. member for There are issues that we are trying to resolve to ensure we are Longueuil—Saint-Hubert that he may speak only when it is his turn. concluding our meaningful consultation with indigenous commu- The other members listened while he was speaking, so he should nities in the right way, in a meaningful way, to ensure good projects listen while others are speaking. can move forward. [English] *** The hon. member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford. FORESTRY INDUSTRY *** DAIRY INDUSTRY Mrs. Cathy McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the community of Vavenby received devastating Mr. Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, news on Monday when the Canfor sawmill closed and 178 people NDP): Mr. Speaker, last year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs were out of work. This follows the Tolko Industries closure, where promised compensation for Canadian dairy workers after three 240 people in Quesnel are out of work. This is the second major successive free trade deals with thousands of Canadian jobs at risk. shutdown in the last 30 days. We have an industry in crisis. While budget 2019 promised compensation for dairy farmers, dairy processors who employ 24,000 in Canadian rural communities Why did the government fail to make resolving the softwood received nothing. Not one dollar was allocated for dairy processors lumber issue a priority when it renegotiated NAFTA? to compensate them for economic harm stemming from these free trade agreements. ● (1505) When will the Liberals deliver on their promise to fairly Hon. Amarjeet Sohi (Minister of Natural Resources, Lib.): Mr. compensate Canadian dairy processors? Speaker, our hearts go out to the people and the workers who are [Translation] impacted by the closures of the sawmills. We know about the reduction in logging and forestry in that area because of the issues of Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of Agriculture and Agri- the wildfire as well as the infestation of the pine beetle that have Food, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the been caused by climate change. opportunity to provide an update on our commitment to supply management. We are ensuring that proper support is available for the industry We are indeed firmly committed to supply management and to our and for workers who are impacted by these closures. dairy, poultry and egg farmers as well as to our processors. We will soon be announcing the mechanisms that will be used to provide our Mr. (Cariboo—Prince George, CPC): Mr. industry with the compensation it was promised. Speaker, in signing the last softwood lumber agreement, the former Conservative government put an end to the longest and most costly *** trade dispute with the U.S. We expanded overseas markets, we [English] championed a wood-first initiative. NATURAL RESOURCES However, when the deal expired, the Liberals refused to make Mr. (Provencher, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Manitoba securing a new softwood lumber agreement a priority. In my produces a lot of clean energy, so we can help other jurisdictions province, over 140,000 jobs are forestry-dependent, 140 commu- reduce their environmental impact with our clean energy resources. nities are forestry-dependent. In the past three weeks, seven mill Minnesota is prepared to buy renewable clean hydroelectricity closures have been announced or are imminent. from Manitoba to displace coal generation in its state. The National Energy Board and the province have both approved the transmission How many more families have to lose their livelihoods before it line, but the Prime Minister refuses to allow the project to go becomes a priority for the Prime Minister? forward. Mr. Robert Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister We know the Prime Minister regularly shows his disrespect for the of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives simply do provinces, but why is he punishing all Manitobans and preventing not know what they are talking about. Our government saw the them from realizing the benefits of this fantastic clean energy consequences of the horrendous quota deal they accepted on opportunity? softwood lumber. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28585

Oral Questions Our government will continue to vigorously defend our industry It goes without saying that we will always stand with our and its workers against protectionist trade measures accepted by the linguistic minorities. We invested $2.7 billion in linguistic Conservatives. We are continuing our legal challenges against the U. minorities. This is the first time that so much money has been S. duties through NAFTA and through the WTO, where Canadian allocated to support official languages in Canada. We are proud of softwood has always won in the past, and we will win again. our track record and we will continue on that same path. Our government will always defend our workers and this industry. ***

*** TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOURISM INDUSTRY Mr. Matthew Dubé (Beloeil—Chambly, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Mr. John Aldag (Cloverdale—Langley City, Lib.): Mr. Speak- with hundreds of people taking to the streets and thousands of er, in my 32-year career with Parks Canada, I dealt with tourism petitioners, public engagement in Otterburn Park is strong, for it is operators and agencies across Canada. As a result, I know how clear that the cell tower Telus wants to build in a sensitive woodland important tourism is to our economy, particularly in B.C. where it does not have social licence. represents over 300,000 tourism workers. Can the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La The minister offered to meet with city officials, but they are Francophonie please explain how the new tourism strategy works to hesitating because the matter is currently before the courts. Will the champion job creation in the tourism industry, especially in B.C.? minister opt for the simplest solution, which is to listen to local citizens and revoke the permit to build the tower, since it clearly does Hon. Mélanie Joly (Minister of Tourism, Official Languages not have social licence? and La Francophonie, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Cloverdale—Langley City for his hard work. Not ● (1510) one week goes by without him talking to me about tourism. After being abandoned by the Conservatives, the 1.8 million Mr. Rémi Massé (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of workers in the tourism sector know that we have their backs. We just Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Lib.): Mr. invested nearly $60 million in a new Canadian experiences fund to Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question. boost our tourism season in the wintertime and to make sure that we have tourists outside our three major cities to empower our regions. Our government believes that communities should have a say in We will also support LGBTQ tourism, culinary and— where these cellphone towers are located in their jurisdictions. The Speaker: The hon. member for Beauport—Limoilou. Telecommunications companies must consult communities in an open and transparent manner regarding the location of towers. The *** government has processes in place to respond to every reasonable and relevant concern raised during the consultations. This process [Translation] guarantees that Canadians can stay connected, without having to pit OFFICIAL LANGUAGES them against cell tower construction in their communities. Mr. Alupa Clarke (Beauport—Limoilou, CPC): Mr. Speaker, everyone remembers the huge mistake the Minister of Official *** Languages made two years ago when she concluded an agreement with Netflix that did not guarantee any French-language cultural PUBLIC SAFETY production. Quebeckers and francophones across the country were so frustrated that the Prime Minister removed her from that position Mr. David de Burgh Graham (Laurentides—Labelle, Lib.): and she lost the heritage portfolio. Mr. Speaker, my riding, Laurentides—Labelle, has an estimated 10,800 lakes and bodies of water, and many of them are used Here is what she is telling us today. She made a plan for tourism recreationally during the summer. We are working on a number of two weeks ago. It contains no guarantees, no investments for the issues concerning the management and protection of our lakes, but francophone minority communities across Canada. She just made an we hear less about boating safety. announcement today and, once again, there is nothing for francophones. According to the Red Cross, every year there are about 160 Was this an oversight on the part of the minister or does this boating-related fatalities in Canada. government just not take official languages seriously? Hon. Mélanie Joly (Minister of Tourism, Official Languages Can the Minister of Transport talk about what is being done to and La Francophonie, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, francophones in Ontario raise awareness about pleasure craft safety? and across the country know full well that our government is there for them. It was the Conservatives who let them down and decided to Hon. Marc Garneau (Minister of Transport, Lib.): Mr. protect Doug Ford in Ontario, rather than protecting francophones Speaker, I thank my colleague from Laurentides—Labelle for his across the country. excellent question. 28586 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Points of Order As members know, we want to promote the best boating safety [English] practices when Canadians take to the water. We want to reach as many people as possible. That is why we are very pleased to have POINTS OF ORDER announced additional funding for public awareness programs that ORAL QUESTIONS will reach as many Canadians as possible and contribute to boating safety. Ms. (Lethbridge, CPC): Mr. Speaker, as you have said often in this place, official opposition members ask We want Canadians to enjoy water-related activities. We want questions and government members answer those questions, or at them to know the rules and to have a chance to take to our beautiful least give it their best shot. In that exchange, sometimes opinions are waterways. shared or questions are asked that maybe other members disagree with. You have asked us to be respectful toward one another, *** nevertheless. [English] I would like to bring to your attention an incident that took place earlier. PRIVACY Mr. Speaker, actually, I would like to bring to your attention the Mr. Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the incident taking place right now. I am being heckled by members Liberal government has repeatedly broken laws by sharing reporters' opposite who want to shut my voice down at this moment. I will wait private information and their questions on the multi-billion dollar for you to bring them to order. Irving shipbuilding project. Now the government has refused to release a 200-page access to information request on the Liberals' Some hon. members: Oh, oh! sharing of this private information with Irving. ● (1515) Why is the government continuing to break the law and what is it The Speaker: Order. The hon. member has not finished her point trying to hide? of order. I will need to hear the rest of her point of order. We all need to hear it. Hon. (Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, our goal is to The hon. member for Lethbridge. provide Canadians, including media, with timely, factual informa- Ms. Rachael Harder: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that you are tion, while ensuring sensitive information remains protected. I upholding the rules equally in this place. directed my department to ensure that we provide accurate information regarding ongoing conduct with industry partners, while During question period, my colleague, the member for Lakeland, ensuring the privacy of all individuals who deal with my department asked a question. My colleague is a grown woman. She was elected is respected. by the constituents of Lakeland, who brought her here to represent them. She has been given the opportunity to carry a portfolio that has *** to do with energy and natural resources in Canada. She is very [Translation] knowledgeable about that file. During question period, she asked a question with regard to that RAIL TRANSPORTATION file, which is her privilege in this place. After asking her question, Ms. Monique Pauzé (Repentigny, BQ): Mr. Speaker, yesterday she was heckled by a member opposite. It was the member for the people of Lac-Mégantic called for a public inquiry into the 2013 Shefford, who told my hon. colleague this. rail disaster. The minister told them that they were spreading conspiracy theories. The fact that 47 people were burned alive in I will wait for the members opposite to stop heckling me once Lac-Mégantic is not a conspiracy. In February there were three again. deaths in a similar accident in British Columbia; that is not a Some hon. members: Oh, oh! conspiracy. The increase in rail accidents since the tragedy in Lac- Mégantic is not a conspiracy. Ms. Rachael Harder: Mr. Speaker, the member for Shefford told my colleague, the member for Lakeland, to be quiet. He then said, Will the minister retract his statements, stop insulting the people “Sit down, kid.” of Lac-Mégantic and order a public inquiry into rail safety? That is incredibly demeaning, it is incredibly degrading and it is Hon. Marc Garneau (Minister of Transport, Lib.): Mr. incredibly sexist to tell my female colleague this. She is a grown Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is the only one spreading this woman who understands her file very well and was elected by the conspiracy. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada fully people of Lakeland to represent them in this place. To call her a kid investigated the Lac-Mégantic tragedy. and infantilize her in that way is absolutely inappropriate in this place. I would ask that the member opposite apologize to my I met with families who lost a son or daughter, a father or mother, colleague. a brother or sister. I can honestly say that the people of Lac-Mégantic want to look to the future, and that is what we will do. The Speaker: I do not see the hon. member for Shefford rising. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28587

Government Orders I will review the recording of question period. I did not hear that The hon. member for Repentigny on a point of order. comment or a comment like it, but I will certainly review it to Ms. Monique Pauzé: Mr. Speaker, 3,800 people have signed a determine, if I can, what was said. I thank the member for raising this petition demanding a public inquiry into the Lac-Mégantic rail point. tragedy. Over a year ago, a motion calling for a public inquiry was I would ask all members, as I appreciate the member mentioning, unanimously adopted by Quebec's National Assembly. to show respect for each other and not to interrupt when someone I think the Minister of Transport should retract his comments else has the floor. This is a consistent problem. about conspiracy theories. The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie is rising on a The Speaker: That also sounds more like debate. point of order. [Translation] Mr. : Mr. Speaker, after consultation with GOVERNMENT ORDERS the other parties, I hope and believe that you will find unanimous [Translation] consent for the following motion: That the House of Commons recognize the unanimous motion of the National Assembly stating BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION ACT, 2019, NO. 1 that any project that may have an environmental impact on Quebec The House resumed from June 4 consideration of Bill C-97, An territory, especially those related to the transportation of oil and gas, Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in must be subject to a Quebec environmental assessment process— Parliament on March 19, 2019 and other measures, as reported Some hon. members: No. (with amendments) from the committee, and of the motions in Group No. 1. The Speaker: I thank the hon. member. He knows that, according The Speaker: It being 3:22 p.m., pursuant to order made on to procedure, he has to first request permission to move a motion for Tuesday, May 28, the House will now proceed to the taking of the which he did not give notice. If permission is granted, he may deferred recorded divisions on the motions at report stage of Bill proceed. Also, putting notice on the Order Paper is always an option. C-97. It is now clear that there is no unanimous consent for the motion. [English] Call in the members. Ms. Jenny Kwan: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There And the bells having rung: has been talk among the parties, and I am very hopeful that if you ● (1535) seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:— [English] Some hon. members: No. The Speaker: The question is on Motion No. 1. A vote on this motion also applies to Motions Nos. 2 to 17. Ms. Jenny Kwan: Mr. Speaker, that in light of the tabling of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered ● (1545) Indigenous Women and Girls, the government recognize the (The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the genocide committed against indigenous women and girls— following division:) ● (1520) (Division No. 1335) The Speaker: Order. It is important that I hear the member who is YEAS asking for consent and it is important that we hear the topic, which we have heard, and it is clear that members have indicated that there Members is no unanimous consent. Aboultaif Albas Albrecht Anderson [Translation] Arnold Barlow Barrett Benzen The hon. member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles is rising on a point of Bergen Bernier Berthold Brassard order. Calkins Carrie Chong Cooper Ms. Linda Lapointe: Mr. Speaker, all members of the House Davidson Diotte deserve the same respect we owe to our constituents. I would Doherty Dreeshen Eglinski Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) therefore like the member for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert to withdraw Falk (Provencher) Finley his insulting, unparliamentary remarks. Généreux Genuis Gladu Godin Mr. Pierre Nantel: Mr. Speaker, I wish my colleague would tell Gourde Harder me what I did that she found so disrespectful. I did indeed say the Jeneroux Kent Kmiec Leitch word “dammit”, but I could just as easily have said “thorn” or Liepert Lloyd “lemon”. I do not see how that is disrespectful towards the Minister Lobb Lukiwski Maguire McCauley (Edmonton West) of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, who, truth be told, has McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo) Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) not done anything these past four years. Motz Nater Nicholson Nuttall The Speaker: That sounds like debate to me. O'Toole Paul-Hus 28588 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

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Rayes Reid Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs) Richards Saroya Moore Schmale Shields Morneau Morrissey Shipley Sopuck Murray Nantel Sorenson Stanton Nassif Nault Strahl Stubbs O'Connell Oliphant Sweet Tilson Oliver O'Regan Trost Van Kesteren Ouellette Paradis Viersen Wagantall Pauzé Peschisolido Warkentin Waugh Peterson Philpott Webber Wong Picard Poissant Yurdiga Zimmer–— 72 Quach Qualtrough Ratansi Rioux NAYS Robillard Rodriguez Members Rogers Romanado Rota Rudd Aldag Alghabra Ruimy Sahota Amos Anandasangaree Saini Samson Arseneault Arya Sangha Sansoucy Ashton Aubin Sarai Scarpaleggia Ayoub Badawey Schiefke Schulte Bagnell Baylis Serré Sgro Beaulieu Beech Shanahan Sheehan Bendayan Bennett Sidhu (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon) Sidhu (Brampton South) Benson Bibeau Sikand Simms Bittle Blaikie Sohi Sorbara Blair Boissonnault Spengemann Ste-Marie Bossio Boudrias Stetski Tabbara Boulerice Boutin-Sweet Tan Tassi Bratina Breton Thériault Vandenbeld Brosseau Caesar-Chavannes Vaughan Virani Caron Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) Weir Whalen Casey (Charlottetown) Chagger Wrzesnewskyj Yip Champagne Chen Young–— 197 Choquette Cormier Cullen Cuzner Dabrusin Damoff PAIRED DeCourcey Dhaliwal Members Dhillon Drouin Dubé Dubourg Gill LeBlanc Duclos Duguid Plamondon Zahid–— 4 Duncan (Etobicoke North) Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) Dusseault Duvall The Speaker: I declare Motion No. 1 defeated. I therefore declare Dzerowicz Easter Ehsassi El-Khoury Motions Nos. 2 to 17 defeated. Ellis Erskine-Smith [Translation] Eyking Eyolfson Fergus Finnigan Fisher Fonseca The question is on Motion No. 18. A vote on this motion also Fortier Fortin applies to Motions Nos. 19 to 33. Fragiskatos Fraser (West Nova) Fraser (Central Nova) Garneau ● (1550) Garrison Gerretsen Goldsmith-Jones Goodale (The House divided on Motion No. 18, which was negatived on Gould Graham Hajdu Hardcastle the following division:) Hardie Harvey Hébert Hehr (Division No. 1336) Hogg Holland Housefather Hughes YEAS Hussen Hutchings Members Iacono Johns Jolibois Joly Ashton Aubin Jones Jordan Beaulieu Benson Jowhari Julian Blaikie Boudrias Kang Khalid Boulerice Boutin-Sweet Khera Kwan Brosseau Caron Lambropoulos Lamoureux Choquette Cullen Lapointe Laverdière Dubé Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) Lefebvre Leslie Levitt Lightbound Dusseault Duvall Lockhart Long Fortin Garrison Longfield Ludwig Hardcastle Hughes MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Johns Jolibois Maloney Manly Julian Kwan Masse (Windsor West) Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) Laverdière MacGregor May (Cambridge) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) Manly Masse (Windsor West) McCrimmon McDonald May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) Moore McGuinty McKay Nantel Pauzé McKenna McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) Quach Sansoucy McLeod (Northwest Territories) Mendès Ste-Marie Stetski Mendicino Mihychuk Thériault Weir–— 38 June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28589

Government Orders NAYS O'Connell Oliphant Oliver O'Regan Members O'Toole Ouellette Paradis Paul-Hus Aboultaif Albas Peschisolido Peterson Albrecht Aldag Philpott Picard Alghabra Amos Poissant Qualtrough Anandasangaree Anderson Ratansi Rayes Arnold Arseneault Reid Richards Arya Ayoub Rioux Robillard Badawey Bagnell Rodriguez Rogers Barlow Barrett Romanado Rota Baylis Beech Rudd Ruimy Bendayan Bennett Sahota Saini Benzen Bergen Samson Sangha Bernier Berthold Sarai Saroya Bibeau Bittle Scarpaleggia Schiefke Blair Boissonnault Schmale Schulte Bossio Brassard Serré Sgro Bratina Breton Shanahan Sheehan Caesar-Chavannes Calkins Shields Shipley Carrie Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) Sidhu (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon) Sidhu (Brampton South) Casey (Charlottetown) Chagger Sikand Simms Champagne Chen Sohi Sopuck Chong Clarke Sorbara Sorenson Clement Cooper Spengemann Stanton Cormier Cuzner Strahl Stubbs Dabrusin Damoff Sweet Tabbara Davidson DeCourcey Tan Tassi Dhaliwal Dhillon Tilson Trost Diotte Doherty Van Kesteren Vandenbeld Dreeshen Drouin Vaughan Viersen Dubourg Duclos Virani Wagantall Duguid Duncan (Etobicoke North) Warkentin Waugh Dzerowicz Easter Webber Whalen Eglinski Ehsassi Wong Wrzesnewskyj El-Khoury Ellis Yip Young Erskine-Smith Eyking Yurdiga Zimmer–— 234 Eyolfson Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Fergus Finley PAIRED Finnigan Fisher Members Fonseca Fortier Fragiskatos Fraser (West Nova) Gill LeBlanc Fraser (Central Nova) Garneau Plamondon Zahid–— 4 Généreux Genuis Gerretsen Gladu The Speaker: I declare Motion No. 18 defeated. I therefore Godin Goldsmith-Jones declare Motions Nos. 19 to 33 defeated. Goodale Gould Gourde Graham [English] Hajdu Harder Hardie Harvey The next question is on Motion No. 34. A vote on this motion also Hébert Hehr Hoback Hogg applies to Motions Nos. 35 to 43. Holland Housefather Hussen Hutchings ● (1600) Iacono Jeneroux Joly Jones (The House divided on Motion No. 34, which was negatived on Jordan Jowhari the following division:) Kang Kent Khalid Khera (Division No. 1337) Kmiec Lambropoulos Lamoureux Lapointe Lefebvre Leitch YEAS Leslie Levitt Members Liepert Lightbound Lloyd Lobb Aboultaif Albas Lockhart Long Albrecht Anderson Longfield Ludwig Arnold Ashton Lukiwski Maguire Aubin Barlow Maloney Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) Barrett Beaulieu May (Cambridge) McCauley (Edmonton West) Benson Benzen McCrimmon McDonald Bergen Bernier McGuinty McKay Berthold Blaikie McKenna McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) Boudrias Boulerice McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo) McLeod (Northwest Territories) Boutin-Sweet Brassard Mendès Mendicino Brosseau Calkins Mihychuk Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) Caron Carrie Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs) Chong Choquette Morneau Clarke Clement Morrissey Motz Cooper Cullen Murray Nassif Davidson Diotte Nater Nault Doherty Dreeshen Nicholson Nuttall Dubé Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) 28590 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

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Dusseault Duvall Lambropoulos Lametti Eglinski Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Lamoureux Lapointe Falk (Provencher) Fast Lefebvre Leslie Finley Fortin Levitt Lightbound Garrison Généreux Lockhart Long Genuis Gladu Longfield Ludwig Godin Gourde MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maloney Hardcastle Harder Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) Hoback Hughes May (Cambridge) Jeneroux Johns McCrimmon McDonald Jolibois Julian McGuinty McKay Kent Kmiec McKenna McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) Kwan Laverdière McLeod (Northwest Territories) Mendès Leitch Liepert Mendicino Mihychuk Lloyd Lobb Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs) Lukiwski MacGregor Morneau Maguire Manly Morrissey Murray Masse (Windsor West) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) Nassif Nault McCauley (Edmonton West) McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo) O'Connell Oliphant Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) Moore Oliver O'Regan Motz Nantel Ouellette Paradis Nater Nicholson Peschisolido Peterson Nuttall O'Toole Picard Poissant Paul-Hus Pauzé Qualtrough Ratansi Philpott Quach Rioux Robillard Rayes Reid Rodriguez Rogers Richards Sansoucy Romanado Rota Saroya Schmale Rudd Ruimy Shields Shipley Sahota Saini Sopuck Sorenson Samson Sangha Stanton Ste-Marie Sarai Scarpaleggia Stetski Strahl Schiefke Schulte Stubbs Sweet Serré Sgro Thériault Tilson Shanahan Sheehan Trost Van Kesteren Sidhu (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon) Sidhu (Brampton South) Viersen Wagantall Sikand Simms Warkentin Waugh Sohi Sorbara Webber Weir Spengemann Tabbara Wong Yurdiga Tan Tassi Zimmer–— 115 Vandenbeld Vaughan Virani Whalen NAYS Wrzesnewskyj Yip Young–— 159 Members

Aldag Alghabra PAIRED Amos Anandasangaree Members Arseneault Arya Ayoub Badawey Gill LeBlanc Bagnell Baylis Plamondon Zahid–— 4 Beech Bendayan Bennett Bibeau The Speaker: I declare Motion No. 34 defeated. I therefore Bittle Blair declare Motions Nos. 35 to 43 defeated. Boissonnault Bossio Bratina Breton [Translation] Caesar-Chavannes Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) Casey (Charlottetown) Chagger The next question is on Motion No. 44. A vote on this motion also Champagne Chen Cormier Cuzner applies to Motions Nos. 45 to 51, 53 and 54. Dabrusin Damoff DeCourcey Dhaliwal ● (1605) Dhillon Drouin Dubourg Duclos (The House divided on Motion No. 44, which was negatived on Duguid Duncan (Etobicoke North) the following division:) Dzerowicz Easter Ehsassi El-Khoury (Division No. 1338) Ellis Erskine-Smith Eyking Eyolfson Fergus Finnigan YEAS Fisher Fonseca Members Fortier Fragiskatos Fraser (West Nova) Fraser (Central Nova) Aboultaif Albas Garneau Gerretsen Albrecht Anderson Goldsmith-Jones Goodale Arnold Ashton Gould Graham Aubin Barlow Hajdu Hardie Barrett Benson Harvey Hébert Benzen Bergen Hehr Hogg Bernier Berthold Holland Housefather Blaikie Boulerice Hussen Hutchings Boutin-Sweet Brassard Iacono Joly Brosseau Caesar-Chavannes Jones Jordan Calkins Caron Jowhari Kang Carrie Chong Khalid Khera Choquette Clarke June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28591

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Clement Cooper Jones Jordan Cullen Davidson Jowhari Kang Diotte Doherty Khalid Khera Dreeshen Dubé Lambropoulos Lametti Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) Dusseault Lamoureux Lapointe Duvall Eglinski Lefebvre Leslie Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Levitt Lightbound Fast Finley Lockhart Long Garrison Généreux Longfield Ludwig Genuis Gladu MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maloney Godin Gourde Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) Hardcastle Harder May (Cambridge) Hoback Hughes McCrimmon McDonald Jeneroux Johns McGuinty McKay Jolibois Julian McKenna McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) Kent Kmiec McLeod (Northwest Territories) Mendès Kwan Laverdière Mendicino Mihychuk Leitch Liepert Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs) Lloyd Lobb Morneau Lukiwski MacGregor Morrissey Murray Maguire Manly Nassif Nault Masse (Windsor West) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) O'Connell Oliphant McCauley (Edmonton West) McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo) Oliver O'Regan Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) Moore Ouellette Paradis Motz Nantel Pauzé Peschisolido Nater Nicholson Peterson Picard Nuttall O'Toole Poissant Qualtrough Paul-Hus Philpott Ratansi Rioux Quach Rayes Robillard Rodriguez Reid Richards Rogers Romanado Sansoucy Saroya Rota Rudd Schmale Shields Ruimy Sahota Shipley Sopuck Saini Samson Sorenson Stanton Sangha Sarai Stetski Strahl Scarpaleggia Schiefke Stubbs Sweet Schulte Serré Tilson Trost Sgro Shanahan Van Kesteren Viersen Sheehan Sidhu (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon) Wagantall Warkentin Sidhu (Brampton South) Sikand Waugh Webber Simms Sohi Weir Wong Sorbara Spengemann Yurdiga Zimmer–— 110 Ste-Marie Tabbara Tan Tassi NAYS Thériault Vandenbeld Vaughan Virani Members Whalen Wrzesnewskyj Yip Young–— 164 Aldag Alghabra Amos Anandasangaree PAIRED Arseneault Arya Ayoub Badawey Members Bagnell Baylis Beaulieu Beech Gill LeBlanc Bendayan Bennett Plamondon Zahid–— 4 Bibeau Bittle Blair Boissonnault The Speaker: I declare Motion No. 44 defeated. I therefore Bossio Boudrias declare Motions Nos. 45 to 51, 53 and 54 defeated. Bratina Breton Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) Casey (Charlottetown) [English] Chagger Champagne Chen Cormier The next question is on Motion No. 52. Cuzner Dabrusin Damoff DeCourcey ● (1615) Dhaliwal Dhillon Drouin Dubourg [Translation] Duclos Duguid Duncan (Etobicoke North) Dzerowicz (The House divided on Motion No. 52, which was negatived on Easter Ehsassi the following division:) El-Khoury Ellis Erskine-Smith Eyking (Division No. 1339) Eyolfson Fergus Finnigan Fisher Fonseca Fortier YEAS Fortin Fragiskatos Members Fraser (West Nova) Fraser (Central Nova) Garneau Gerretsen Aboultaif Albas Goldsmith-Jones Goodale Albrecht Anderson Gould Graham Arnold Ashton Hajdu Hardie Aubin Barlow Harvey Hébert Barrett Benson Hehr Hogg Benzen Bergen Holland Housefather Bernier Berthold Hussen Hutchings Blaikie Boulerice Iacono Joly Boutin-Sweet Brassard 28592 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

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Brosseau Calkins Hussen Hutchings Caron Carrie Iacono Joly Chong Choquette Jones Jordan Clarke Cooper Jowhari Kang Cullen Davidson Khalid Khera Diotte Doherty Lambropoulos Lametti Dreeshen Dubé Lamoureux Lapointe Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) Dusseault Lefebvre Leslie Duvall Eglinski Levitt Lightbound Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Lockhart Long Fast Finley Longfield Ludwig Garrison Généreux MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maloney Genuis Gladu Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) Godin Gourde May (Cambridge) Hardcastle Harder McCrimmon McDonald Hoback Hughes McGuinty McKay Jeneroux Johns McKenna McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) Jolibois Julian McLeod (Northwest Territories) Mendès Kent Kmiec Mendicino Mihychuk Kwan Laverdière Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs) Leitch Liepert Morneau Lloyd Lobb Morrissey Murray Lukiwski MacGregor Nassif Nault Maguire Manly O'Connell Oliphant Masse (Windsor West) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) Oliver O'Regan McCauley (Edmonton West) McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo) Ouellette Paradis Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) Moore Pauzé Peschisolido Motz Nantel Peterson Philpott Nater Nicholson Picard Poissant Nuttall O'Toole Qualtrough Ratansi Paul-Hus Quach Rioux Robillard Rayes Reid Rodriguez Rogers Richards Sansoucy Romanado Rota Saroya Schmale Rudd Ruimy Shields Shipley Sahota Saini Sopuck Sorenson Samson Sangha Stanton Stetski Sarai Scarpaleggia Strahl Stubbs Schiefke Schulte Sweet Tilson Serré Sgro Trost Van Kesteren Shanahan Sheehan Viersen Wagantall Sidhu (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon) Sidhu (Brampton South) Warkentin Waugh Sikand Simms Webber Wong Sohi Sorbara Yurdiga Zimmer–— 106 Spengemann Ste-Marie Tabbara Tan NAYS Tassi Thériault Vandenbeld Vaughan Members Virani Weir Whalen Wrzesnewskyj Aldag Alghabra Yip Young–— 166 Amos Anandasangaree Arseneault Arya Ayoub Badawey PAIRED Bagnell Baylis Members Beaulieu Beech Bendayan Bennett Gill LeBlanc Bibeau Bittle Plamondon Zahid–— 4 Blair Boissonnault Bossio Boudrias The Speaker: I declare Motion No. 52 defeated. Bratina Breton Caesar-Chavannes Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) ● (1620) Casey (Charlottetown) Chagger Champagne Chen [English] Cormier Cuzner Dabrusin Damoff The next question is on Motion No. 55. DeCourcey Dhaliwal Dhillon Drouin ● (1630) Dubourg Duclos Duguid Duncan (Etobicoke North) (The House divided on Motion No. 55, which was agreed to on Dzerowicz Easter the following division:) Ehsassi El-Khoury Ellis Erskine-Smith (Division No. 1340) Eyking Eyolfson Fergus Finnigan Fisher Fonseca YEAS Fortier Fortin Members Fragiskatos Fraser (West Nova) Fraser (Central Nova) Garneau Aldag Alghabra Gerretsen Goldsmith-Jones Amos Anandasangaree Goodale Gould Arseneault Arya Graham Hajdu Ashton Aubin Hardie Hébert Ayoub Badawey Hehr Hogg Bagnell Baylis Holland Housefather Beech Bendayan June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28593

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Bennett Benson Stetski Tabbara Bibeau Bittle Tan Tassi Blaikie Blair Vandenbeld Vaughan Boissonnault Bossio Virani Weir Boulerice Boutin-Sweet Whalen Wrzesnewskyj Bratina Breton Yip Young–— 192 Brosseau Caesar-Chavannes Caron Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) NAYS Casey (Charlottetown) Chagger Champagne Chen Members Choquette Cormier Cullen Cuzner Aboultaif Albas Dabrusin Damoff Albrecht Anderson DeCourcey Dhaliwal Arnold Barlow Dhillon Drouin Barrett Beaulieu Dubé Dubourg Benzen Bergen Duclos Duguid Bernier Berthold Duncan (Etobicoke North) Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) Boudrias Brassard Dusseault Duvall Calkins Carrie Dzerowicz Easter Chong Clarke Ehsassi El-Khoury Cooper Davidson Ellis Erskine-Smith Diotte Doherty Eyking Eyolfson Dreeshen Eglinski Fergus Finnigan Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fisher Fonseca Fast Finley Fortier Fragiskatos Fortin Généreux Fraser (West Nova) Fraser (Central Nova) Genuis Gladu Garneau Garrison Godin Gourde Gerretsen Goldsmith-Jones Harder Hoback Goodale Gould Jeneroux Kelly Graham Hajdu Kent Kmiec Hardcastle Hardie Leitch Liepert Harvey Hébert Lloyd Lobb Hehr Hogg Lukiwski Maguire Holland Housefather McCauley (Edmonton West) McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo) Hughes Hussen Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) Motz Hutchings Iacono Nater Nicholson Johns Jolibois Nuttall O'Toole Joly Jones Paul-Hus Pauzé Jordan Jowhari Rayes Reid Julian Kang Richards Saroya Khalid Khera Schmale Shields Kwan Lambropoulos Shipley Sopuck Lametti Lamoureux Sorenson Stanton Lapointe Laverdière Ste-Marie Strahl Lefebvre Leslie Stubbs Sweet Levitt Lightbound Thériault Tilson Lockhart Long Trost Van Kesteren Longfield Ludwig Viersen Wagantall MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Warkentin Waugh Maloney Manly Webber Wong Masse (Windsor West) Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) Yurdiga Zimmer–— 82 May (Cambridge) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) McCrimmon McDonald PAIRED McGuinty McKay McKenna McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) Members McLeod (Northwest Territories) Mendès Gill LeBlanc Mendicino Mihychuk Plamondon Zahid–— 4 Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs) Moore The Speaker: I declare Motion No. 55 carried. Morneau Morrissey Murray Nantel [Translation] Nassif Nault O'Connell Oliphant The next question is on Motion No. 56. A vote on this motion also Oliver O'Regan Ouellette Paradis applies to Motion No. 57. Peschisolido Peterson Philpott Picard ● (1635) Poissant Quach Qualtrough Ratansi (The House divided on Motion No. 56, which was negatived on Rioux Robillard the following division:) Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rota (Division No. 1341) Rudd Ruimy Sahota Saini Samson Sangha YEAS Sansoucy Sarai Members Scarpaleggia Schiefke Schulte Serré Ashton Aubin Sgro Shanahan Beaulieu Benson Sheehan Sidhu (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon) Blaikie Boudrias Sidhu (Brampton South) Sikand Boulerice Boutin-Sweet Simms Sohi Brosseau Caesar-Chavannes Sorbara Spengemann Caron Choquette 28594 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders

Cullen Dubé Maloney Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) Dusseault May (Cambridge) McCauley (Edmonton West) Duvall Fortin McCrimmon McDonald Garrison Hardcastle McGuinty McKay Hughes Johns McKenna McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) Jolibois Julian McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo) McLeod (Northwest Territories) Kwan Laverdière Mendès Mendicino MacGregor Manly Mihychuk Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) Masse (Windsor West) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs) Moore Nantel Morneau Pauzé Philpott Morrissey Motz Quach Sansoucy Murray Nassif Ste-Marie Stetski Nater Nault Thériault Weir–— 40 Nicholson Nuttall O'Connell Oliphant NAYS Oliver O'Regan O'Toole Ouellette Members Paradis Paul-Hus Peschisolido Peterson Aboultaif Albas Picard Poissant Albrecht Aldag Qualtrough Raitt Alghabra Anandasangaree Anderson Arnold Ratansi Reid Arseneault Arya Richards Rioux Ayoub Badawey Robillard Rodriguez Bagnell Barlow Rogers Romanado Barrett Baylis Rota Rudd Beech Bendayan Ruimy Sahota Bennett Benzen Saini Samson Bergen Bernier Sangha Sarai Berthold Bibeau Saroya Scarpaleggia Bittle Blair Schiefke Schmale Boissonnault Bossio Schulte Serré Brassard Bratina Sgro Shanahan Breton Calkins Sheehan Shields Carrie Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) Shipley Sidhu (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon) Casey (Charlottetown) Chagger Sidhu (Brampton South) Sikand Champagne Chen Simms Sohi Chong Clarke Sopuck Sorbara Cooper Cormier Sorenson Spengemann Cuzner Dabrusin Stanton Strahl Damoff Davidson Stubbs Sweet DeCourcey Dhaliwal Tabbara Tan Dhillon Diotte Tassi Tilson Doherty Dreeshen Trost Van Kesteren Drouin Dubourg Vandenbeld Vaughan Duclos Duguid Virani Wagantall Duncan (Etobicoke North) Dzerowicz Warkentin Waugh Easter Eglinski Webber Whalen Ehsassi El-Khoury Wong Wrzesnewskyj Ellis Erskine-Smith Yip Young Eyking Eyolfson Yurdiga Zimmer–— 230 Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Fergus PAIRED Finley Finnigan Fisher Fonseca Members Fortier Fragiskatos Fraser (West Nova) Fraser (Central Nova) Gill LeBlanc Garneau Généreux Plamondon Zahid–— 4 Genuis Gerretsen Gladu Godin The Speaker: I declare Motion No. 56 defeated. I therefore Goldsmith-Jones Goodale declare Motion No. 57 defeated. Gould Gourde Graham Hajdu ● (1640) Harder Hardie Harvey Hébert [English] Hehr Hogg Hon. Amarjeet Sohi (for the Minister of Finance) moved that Holland Housefather Hussen Hutchings Bill C-97, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget Iacono Jeneroux tabled in Parliament on March 19, 2019 and other measures, as Joly Jones Jordan Jowhari amended, be concurred in at report stage with further amendments. Kelly Kent The Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Khalid Khera Kmiec Lambropoulos Lametti Lamoureux Some hon. members: Agreed. Lapointe Lefebvre Leitch Leslie Some hon. members: No. Levitt Liepert Lightbound Lloyd The Speaker: All those in favour of the motion will please say Lobb Lockhart Long Longfield yea. Ludwig Lukiwski MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maguire Some hon. members: Yea. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28595

Government Orders The Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay. Romanado Rota Rudd Ruimy Sahota Saini Some hon. members: Nay. Samson Sangha Sarai Scarpaleggia The Speaker: In my opinion, the yeas have it. Schiefke Schulte Serré Sgro And five or more members having risen: Shanahan Sheehan Sidhu (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon) Sidhu (Brampton South) ● (1645) Sikand Simms Sohi Sorbara (The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the Spengemann Tabbara following division:) Tan Tassi Vandenbeld Vaughan (Division No. 1342) Virani Weir Whalen Wrzesnewskyj YEAS Yip Young–— 160 Members NAYS

Aldag Alghabra Members Amos Anandasangaree Arseneault Arya Aboultaif Albas Ayoub Badawey Albrecht Anderson Bagnell Baylis Angus Arnold Beech Bendayan Ashton Aubin Bennett Bibeau Barlow Barrett Bittle Blair Beaulieu Benson Boissonnault Bossio Benzen Bergen Bratina Breton Bernier Berthold Caesar-Chavannes Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) Blaikie Boudrias Casey (Charlottetown) Chagger Boulerice Boutin-Sweet Champagne Chen Brassard Brosseau Cormier Cuzner Calkins Caron Dabrusin Damoff Carrie Chong DeCourcey Dhaliwal Choquette Clarke Dhillon Drouin Cooper Cullen Dubourg Duclos Davidson Diotte Duguid Duncan (Etobicoke North) Doherty Dreeshen Dzerowicz Easter Dubé Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) Ehsassi El-Khoury Dusseault Duvall Ellis Erskine-Smith Eglinski Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Eyking Eyolfson Falk (Provencher) Fast Fergus Finnigan Finley Fortin Fisher Fonseca Garrison Généreux Fortier Fragiskatos Genuis Gladu Fraser (West Nova) Fraser (Central Nova) Godin Gourde Garneau Gerretsen Hardcastle Harder Goldsmith-Jones Goodale Hoback Hughes Gould Graham Jeneroux Johns Hajdu Hardie Jolibois Julian Harvey Hébert Kelly Kent Hehr Hogg Kmiec Kwan Holland Housefather Laverdière Leitch Hussen Hutchings Liepert Lloyd Iacono Joly Lobb Lukiwski Jones Jordan MacGregor Maguire Jowhari Khalid Masse (Windsor West) McCauley (Edmonton West) Khera Lambropoulos McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo) Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) Lametti Lamoureux Moore Motz Lapointe Lefebvre Nantel Nater Leslie Levitt Nicholson Nuttall Lightbound Lockhart O'Toole Paul-Hus Long Longfield Pauzé Quach Ludwig MacKinnon (Gatineau) Raitt Reid Maloney Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) Richards Sansoucy May (Cambridge) McCrimmon Saroya Schmale McDonald McGuinty Shields Shipley McKay McKenna Sopuck Sorenson McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLeod (Northwest Territories) Stanton Ste-Marie Mendès Mendicino Stetski Strahl Mihychuk Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des- Stubbs Sweet Soeurs) Thériault Tilson Morneau Morrissey Trost Van Kesteren Murray Nassif Wagantall Warkentin Nault O'Connell Waugh Webber Oliphant Oliver Wong Yurdiga O'Regan Ouellette Zimmer–— 111 Paradis Peschisolido Peterson Philpott Picard Poissant PAIRED Qualtrough Ratansi Members Rioux Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Gill LeBlanc 28596 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Routine Proceedings Plamondon Zahid–— 4 Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs and oversight The Speaker: I declare the motion carried. of the Centre Block rehabilitation project, as well as the long-term vision and plan. When shall the bill be read a third time? Pursuant to an order made on Tuesday, May 28, later this day. JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS [Translation] Mr. (Mount Royal, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mr. ): It is my have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 27th report duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, entitled questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as “Striking of Passages from the Evidence of the Meeting Held on follows: the hon. member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith, Housing; the Tuesday, May 28, 2019”. hon. member for Windsor—Tecumseh, International Trade; the hon. member for Bow River, Justice. [English]

LIAISON ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Hon. Judy A. Sgro (Humber River—Black Creek, Lib.): Mr. [English] Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 107(3) I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 11th report of the Liaison GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS Committee, entitled “ Committee Activities and Expenditures - April Mr. (Parliamentary Secretary to the 1, 2018 - March 31, 2019”. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to HEALTH table, in both official languages, the government's responses to two petitions. Mr. Bill Casey (Cumberland—Colchester, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 25th report *** of the Standing Committee on Health in relation to Bill S-248, an act CUSTOMS TARIFF respecting national physicians’ day. Hon. Amarjeet Sohi (for the Minister of Finance) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-101, An Act to amend the Customs Tariff Bill S-248 would designate May 1 as national physicians' day. I and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act. would like to thank retired Hon. Senator Arthur Eggleton and the (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) hon. member for Vancouver Centre for bringing the bill forward. The committee took studied bill and decided to report it back to the *** House with no amendments. ● (1650) *** INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS Ms. (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of ● (1655) Health, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the NET-ZERO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ACT report of the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation regarding its participation at the Bilateral Mission to the Federal Democratic Mr. Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches—East York, Lib.) Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of Rwanda, Addis Ababa, moved for leave to introduce Bill C-454, An Act respecting net- Ethiopia and Kigali, Rwanda, from March 10 to 16. zero greenhouse gas emissions. *** He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to introduce the net-zero COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE greenhouse gas emissions bill. This government has made significant and meaningful progress to tackle climate change, but greater INDIGENOUS AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS ambition is now required to meet our national, intergenerational and Hon. MaryAnn Mihychuk (Kildonan—St. Paul, Lib.): Mr. our moral obligations. Science demands greater action. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 21st report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change notes, “in model Affairs, entitled “Main Estimates 2019-20”. pathways with no or limited overshoot of 1.5°C, global net [Translation] anthropogenic CO2 emissions declined by about 45% from the 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net-zero by 2050.” PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS Hon. (Yukon, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the Our international allies are already undertaking this difficult honour to present, in both official languages, the 96th report of the work. The U.K., in early May, published a road map to net-zero by Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding 2050. The EU Commission, and EU Parliament, have adopted the amendments to the Standing Orders concerning the mandate of the same standards. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28597

Routine Proceedings We have made important progress such as price on pollution, The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mr. Anthony Rota): I just want phasing out coal, slashing methane emissions, significant invest- to remind the hon. members, as I see quite a few people who want to ments in public transit, clean energies and more, but the science present petitions, to try to be as concise and precise as possible. demands greater ambition. That is why the bill is so important. The hon. member for Brome—Missisquoi. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) ● (1700) *** [Translation] PETITIONS THE ENVIRONMENT PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED DYING Hon. Denis Paradis (Brome—Missisquoi, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Mr. David Anderson (Cypress Hills—Grasslands, CPC): Mr. the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has granted permit Speaker, I have four petitions on three subjects. The first two approval to expand the landfill in Coventry, Vermont. Right next petitions deal with Bill C-418. door, Lake Memphremagog supplies drinking water to nearly 175,000 people in my region, including those from Compton— The petitioners ask Parliament to support the bill. It would amend Stanstead and Sherbrooke. the Criminal Code to make it an offence to intimidate a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or any other health care The petitioners are calling on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to professional for the purpose of compelling them to take part in the ask the International Joint Commission to conduct an environmental provision of medical assistance in dying. It would also makes it an impact assessment of the plan to expand the landfill in Coventry, offence to dismiss from employment or to refuse to employ such Vermont, by 51 acres. practitioners for the reason only that they refuse to take part in that activity. [English]

RURAL CRIME PALLIATIVE CARE Mr. David Anderson (Cypress Hills—Grasslands, CPC): Mr. Mr. Dave Van Kesteren (Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC): Speaker, the third petition calls on the to Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions. fully fund the RCMP in order to deal with rural crime issues. The first one is on palliative care. It is a petition to establish a AGRICULTURE national strategy on palliative care. Mr. David Anderson (Cypress Hills—Grasslands, CPC): Mr. PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED DYING Speaker, my last petition calls on Parliament to enshrine in legislation the inalienable right of farmers and other Canadians to Mr. Dave Van Kesteren (Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC): freely save, reuse, select, exchange, condition, store and sell the Mr. Speaker, I also have a host of other petitions, which are on the seeds from their farms. It recognizes the inherent rights of farmers to same subject. These are petitions to establish conscience protections freely do that. for physicians in health care institutions. [Translation] [Translation]

IRAN OFFICIAL LANGUAGES Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie, NDP): Mr. Mr. François Choquette (Drummond, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by over pleased to present a petition signed by hundreds of Canadian citizens 15,000 citizens and residents of Canada. who are upset about cuts to French-language services in Ontario. This petition points out that the closure of our embassy in Tehran Given that the Ontario government made cuts to services in and the expulsion of Iraqi diplomats had a serious impact on the French that will affect the the Franco-Ontarian community's consular services offered to Iranians living in Canada. There is no development and quality of life, the petitioners are calling on the one to help them on the ground. Government of Canada to show some leadership by engaging with [English] the provinces and territories to ensure that people's constitutional language rights are respected across the country. It has also had a negative impact on Iranian citizens who want to visit Canada and cannot access visa services, as well as on Canadian I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Ms. Chagnon, citizens who get into trouble in Iran and do not get the best consular who collected signatures for several petitions to bring about this service they can get. They remind us that our European allies, change. notably the United Kingdom, did renew links with Iran after the adoption of the the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. [English] AGRICULTURE The petitioners ask the Canadian government to be true to its commitment and re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, which Mr. John Nater (Perth—Wellington, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I am would enable us to reopen an embassy in Tehran and have Iranian pleased to present this petition signed by a number of petitioners in representatives in Ottawa. my riding of Perth—Wellington. 28598 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Routine Proceedings The petitioners call on the government to allow farmers to save or development projects and persecution. The causes of forced use select, exchange and sell seeds. migration are multiple, complex and interwoven. STATUS OF WOMEN The petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to support Ms. Sheri Benson (Saskatoon West, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am grassroots organizations working for peace, democracy and human pleased to present a petition on behalf of the Women's March Canada rights and to invest more in diplomatic and peaceful solutions to and the Saskatoon members. armed conflicts. They point out that feminist women's organizations have been struggling for decades to keep the lights on and the doors open due Nobody should be forced to flee their home. to a lack of federal core funding. They point out that direct federal funding to women's organizations represents less than 0.01% of the [English] total federal program, spending only $1 for every woman in Canada. The petitioners therefore ask the Government of Canada to VISION CARE immediately provide secure, multi-year core operational funding to feminist women's organizations and set national standards to ensure Mrs. Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, equality of access to services and protections for all women. NDP): Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to once again rise to table petitions in support of a national framework for action to promote CONSUMER PROTECTION eye health and vision care. Ms. Rachael Harder (Lethbridge, CPC): Mr. Speaker, today I have the privilege of presenting two petitions, one that is an The petitioners note that the number of Canadians with vision loss electronic petition and one that is paper-based. Both of these is expected to double in the next 20 years and that this is a crisis that petitions are of the same nature. affects all segments of the Canadian population, with Canada's most The petitioners call on the government to support Bill C-419, vulnerable population, seniors, children and indigenous peoples at which is a private member's bill that I have on the floor on the House particular risk. They note that a multi-stakeholder response should of Commons, calling for greater consumer protection with regards to reflect the underlying issues common to the prevention of all eye credit card use. Ultimately, this comes down to fairness and disease and vision loss that will reduce risk, increase early detection transparency on behalf of Canadians. and improve access to quality health care services. THE ENVIRONMENT [Translation] Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to table. The petitioners join thousands of Canadians across the country who recognize the importance of eye health and would like all levels The first is e-petition 1984 on the protection of the environment. of government to work together to develop a national eye health This petition was established by a retired physician and member of strategy and take action. the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Raquel Feroe. It represents 1,000 signatures in support of enacting an [English] environmental bill of rights for Canada to impose public trust duty on the federal government to protect the environment and give a bundle of rights to citizens. PLASTICS I am pleased to say that today e-petition 2172 was closed. I look Mr. (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, GP): Mr. Speaker, it forward to tabling that. It will be another 1,800 signatures, calling for my honour to present two petitions. an environmental bill of rights. ● (1705) The first petition is an electronic petition with 9,676 signatures. PHARMACARE The petitioners are calling for a national plastic strategy, which includes an education and public awareness campaign highlighting Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the scope and impact of global plastic pollution; a ban on the the second petition is signed by over 1,000 Albertans from across the manufacturing, distribution and use of all plastics that cannot be province, calling on the government to take action to establish a recycled; a ban on all single-use plastics that are hard to recycle and universal prescription drug plan for pharmacare. most often end up in landfills and waterways; a commitment to [Translation] encourage a circular plastics economy by keeping recyclable plastics out of landfills and instead reusing them in a closed-loop system, FORCED MIGRATION effectively saving billions in manufacturing costs while producing Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, less water waste; a commitment to invest in the infrastructure on a the third petition has been signed by Franco-Albertans who say that, municipal, provincial and federal level to collect, sort, process, every minute, 31 people are forced to flee their homes. The majority recycle and reuse all plastic packaging; and a zero plastic waste of them live in the poorest countries on the planet under extremely Canada by 2030 by ensuring all plastic packaging is 100% difficult conditions: armed conflict, climate change, massive recyclable, reusable or compostable. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28599

Government Orders VETERANS AFFAIRS [English] Mr. Paul Manly (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, GP): Mr. Speaker, the second petition is for Veterans Affairs Canada. Some families were having a tough time making ends meet, while The petitioners call upon the Minister of Veterans Affairs to saving for the future or for an emergency. In the fall of that same remove any statutory limits on back pay eligibility for the disability year, Canadians made a different choice. I think it was a very smart allowance, and work with individual veterans to achieve just and due choice, in all impartiality. They chose a plan that would invest in the compensation for the disability allowance in a timely manner. middle class, a plan that would make big investments in health, *** housing and the environment, while also staying fiscally responsible. QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the One of the first things Liberals did as a government was to ask the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): wealthiest 1% of Canadians to contribute a little more so that middle- Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand. class Canadians could have more money in their pockets. Today, The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mr. Anthony Rota): Is that over nine million Canadians are benefiting from the middle-class tax agreed? cut. Some hon. members: Agreed. *** In 2016, we introduced the Canada child benefit. This measure MOTIONS FOR PAPERS has helped lift almost 300,000 children out of poverty. What is more, our government indexed the Canada child benefit payments two Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the years ahead of schedule, so that benefits could keep pace with the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): rising cost of living. In July, benefits will increase with inflation to Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of ensure that hard-working parents continue to have the support they papers be allowed to stand. need with the high cost of raising their kids. The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mr. Anthony Rota): Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed. With the CCB, nine out of 10 Canadian families with children are receiving more money than they received under the previous system of child benefits, where cheques were sent to families of million- aires, something that the Harper Conservatives and today's GOVERNMENT ORDERS Conservatives fought to preserve while voting against the Canada ● (1710) child benefit. [Translation] BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION ACT, 2019, NO. 1 For the 2019-20 year, on average, families benefiting from the Hon. Amarjeet Sohi (for the Minister of Finance) moved that CCB will receive around $7,000 to help with the high cost of raising Bill C-97, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget kids, an amount that will continue to rise with the cost of living, as I tabled in Parliament on March 19, 2019 and other measures be read have mentioned. According to the OECD, and I understand it is not the third time and passed. the Fraser Institute, which the Conservatives like to quote, even though the studies they refer to often in the House have been Mr. Joël Lightbound (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister debunked by just about anyone serious who has taken a look at it, of Finance, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the precisely, because they fail to take into account the Canada child House today to speak to Bill C-97. benefit. This bill will help implement major investments included in the 2019 budget. Most importantly, it will give the government new However, according to the OECD, when the CCB is combined tools to help middle-class Canadians, reduce inequality and ensure with the middle-class tax cut, a typical, middle-class family of four that in Canada prosperity is truly inclusive. in Canada, on average, now has $2,000 more in their pockets than I will stress that I am talking about new measures. Bill C-97 builds they did under the Harper Conservatives. This is significant on our accomplishments and the progress we have made these last progress. four years. We have to remember how we got here and how we achieved the results we see in Canada today. In 2015, the situation was very different. Economic growth was slow or even stagnant. We did not stop there. We replaced the old working income tax Unemployment was up, and Canada was in a technical recession. benefit with the more generous Canada workers benefit. The new Wages were not going up fast enough, but the cost of living, as we benefit puts more money in the pockets of more than two million know, just keeps increasing. Canadian workers who are working hard to join the middle class. 28600 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders In addition, to support Canada's hard-working entrepreneurs, we business tax rates or strategic investments, all of which were sorely cut the small business tax rate twice, dropping it to 9% in January. It needed in Canada during the decade that Stephen Harper and the is now the lowest small business tax rate in the G7, and the fourth Conservative Party of Canada were in power. They neglected the lowest of the 36 members of the OECD, the Organisation for sciences and stopped investing in science. This undermines our Economic Co-operation and Development, which I just referred to. country's competitiveness and prosperity over the long term. [Translation] Those are the three main pillars. In budget 2018, we reaffirmed the The results of the measures adopted by our government since fall importance we place on science by making the largest investment in 2015 speak for themselves. More than one million jobs were created science in Canadian history, after a dark decade for scientists, in the Canadian economy. Last year, all job gains were in full-time science, research and innovation under Stephen Harper's Conserva- positions. The unemployment rate is at its lowest in more than 40 tive government. years, and salaries are increasing faster than the rate of inflation. In The budget and Bill C-97 are based on these three main pillars, sum, the country is heading in the right direction and the Canadian which are working and have made Canada one of the G7's leading economy is booming. economies since we came to power three years ago. Moreover, employment gains have greatly benefited groups that Speaking of competitiveness, let us talk about skills. are often under-represented in the labour market, such as new immigrants, single mothers, indigenous peoples living on reserve [English] and young Canadians who do not have a high school diploma. This That is something that I would like to talk about. In the first represents considerable progress, but a lot of work remains to be quarter of 2019, there were more Canadians employed than at any done to continue reducing inequality in this country and to ensure moment in Canada's history, including more women employed than that the growth and prosperity we are enjoying benefit as many at any moment in Canadian history. That is great news but we cannot people as possible. take anything for granted. We know that not everyone has the right Some Canadians remain concerned about the future. They are skills to take advantage of some of the new well-paying worried about their job security because the nature of work is opportunities. evolving. They are worried that they will not be able to buy a home The nature of work is changing around the world and the because housing is too expensive. They are worried about their challenge for workers, employers and governments is to find new retirement and they wonder whether they will have enough savings. ways to make sure that people have the skills they need to succeed in These are legitimate concerns, and we will leave no one behind. the changing work environment. For example, automation is on the ● (1715) rise. The OECD estimates that about one in 10 Canadian jobs are at Bill C-97 is the next step in our plan to invest in the middle class high risk of automation within the next 10 to 20 years and that one and grow the economy today and for years to come. I will take a out of three jobs is likely to experience significant changes. moment to elaborate on this before getting into some of the details of Canada is not alone in this. Other countries will face the same Bill C-97. Over the past three years, the government's action was challenge, as workers try to figure out how to get the training they based on three main pillars. That is the plan we presented to need to keep their existing jobs or to prepare for new jobs. Canadians and it is working very well. [Translation] One of these three main pillars is investment in infrastructure. We know there are infrastructure needs across the country, from coast to We are determined to ensure that Canadian workers have the skills coast, and we know how serious they are. Our environment also they need to succeed on the job market of tomorrow. To get there, demands investments in public transportation infrastructure, for Canadians must have access to appropriate training. That is why we example. We committed to investing $180 billion over 12 years in introduced a new program, the Canada training benefit, in budget infrastructure. These investments are paying off across the country 2019. It is a personalized, portable benefit that will help Canadians and are helping many municipalities and provinces carry out get the time and money they need to learn new skills. meaningful infrastructure projects. Sometimes these projects appeal Bill C-97 will implement an important element of the benefit, to the imagination, as is the case with public transportation. Others namely a $250 annual credit for every worker to be put toward the are a bit less glamorous, but just as important. Take waste water for cost of future training. This credit can add up to $5,000 over the example. We lose a lot of drinking water to aging waste water course of a career. Eligible workers will receive their first credit this treatment systems. year, in 2019, and may start using it next year to register for a course The second pillar involves reducing inequalities through the they may need. measures I mentioned. These measures have helped reduce poverty ● (1720) by 20% in Canada. Child poverty was reduced by 40% in just three years. That is huge. The Canada training benefit will open more doors for workers, which will help them contribute to the Canadian economy and The third pillar is competitiveness. We are making sure that benefit from its growth. This measure will be equally helpful for Canada has access to foreign markets, whether through the employers because it will give them access to a more skilled Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific workforce, which will help them grow their businesses and create Partnership, CETA, the renegotiated NAFTA, reduced small- more well-paying jobs. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28601

Government Orders Clearly, if we want to prepare Canadians for the high-quality jobs person, or from $50,000 to $70,000 for a couple. The maximum of tomorrow, we must pay close attention to my generation and to withdrawal amount had not been adjusted in 10 years, so we thought young Canadians, something our government fully understands. it was time to do so. Modernizing the homebuyers' plan will help When the Minister of Finance introduced budget 2019, he more people purchase their first home or first condo. highlighted the steps we have taken to remove barriers to education and training. In addition, Bill C-97 will enact the new legislation for the [English] national housing strategy. In concrete terms, it will require the With the measures in this budget implementation act, students federal government to give priority to the housing needs of the most would not have to start repaying their Canada student loans until six vulnerable Canadians. months after they graduated, and interest would not accumulate during that period on these loans. Paired with the budget's commitment to lower the interest rate on Canada student loans, the The government will also be required to report back to Parliament interest-free grace period is expected to save the average borrower on the progress made in implementing the strategy and in achieving approximately $2,000 over the lifetime of a loan. the desired results with respect to housing. These targets, such as cutting homelessness in half in this country and building 100,000 We are taking these steps because young Canadians need our help. new units, as well as repairing and renovating another 300,000, will They are the most educated, connected and diverse generation this make a real difference in the lives of many Canadians. country has ever seen. They are changing our communities for the better and are taking the lead in building a fairer and more sustainable future. I think these reinvestments in housing are all the more important in light of the federal withdrawal from housing investment, which, I At the same time, we are hearing from many young Canadians should point out, began before the Conservative government took that they are still worried about what the future holds for them. Will office and escalated during the 10 years that Stephen Harper was in they be able to afford college or university? Will there be good jobs power. ready for them when they graduate? Will they be able to afford a good place to live? We are taking action to answer more of these questions for young people and for all Canadians. ● (1725) Let us take housing. Many young Canadians dream of owning their first home, a feeling shared by middle-class families. However, I think it is time for the federal government to take responsibility with rising house prices, it is getting increasingly harder for people for housing and make a bold, ambitious comeback. That is what the to make that dream a reality. Our government believes that every national housing strategy does. Canadian should have a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why we are taking important steps to make housing more accessible and affordable, especially for first-time homebuyers. The bill also offers meaningful assistance for Canadian seniors, because all Canadians deserve a secure and dignified retirement, free The legislation we are debating proposes measures to help of financial worries. Sadly, retirement can be a daunting prospect for Canadians take their first step toward home ownership. It would some seniors, especially those living on low incomes. amend the National Housing Act to allow the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to offer shared equity mortgages to eligible first-time homebuyers. This important measure would be called the Since 2015, the government has taken a number of steps to make first-time homebuyer incentive. Through this new incentive, CMHC retirement more affordable. For instance, it restored the age of would provide 5% of the value of a home for a first-time homebuyer, eligibility for old age security and the guaranteed income supplement helping to reduce the size of an insured mortgage and lowering to 65. The previous government had moved it up to 67, plunging monthly mortgage payments. hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable Canadians into To encourage the construction of new housing, the incentive poverty. would increase to 10% for newly built homes. This could mean a lot for many young Canadians. For a middle-class family buying a new We increased the GIS top-up for single seniors, a measure that condo or new house worth $400,000, the savings could be about benefited 900,000 Canadians. $225 a month. That could make a real difference. It is expected that this new incentive could help as many as 100,000 Canadian families buy their first home. [English] [Translation] That is not all. The budget implementation bill also proposes to Our government also reached an historic agreement with the increase the limit on withdrawals from the home buyers' plan, or provinces to enhance the CPP, which will raise the maximum HBP. These amounts, which first-time homebuyers can withdraw retirement benefit by up to 50% over time. This will help more than tax-free, can help fund the down payment. As announced in budget one million families who would have faced a drop in their standard 2019, the limit is being increased from $25,000 to $35,000 per of living when they retired. 28602 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Private Members' Business Budget 2019 and this BIA propose a series of new measures to We managed to turn around the country's fortunes with the best help even more Canadians age with confidence in their finances. To economy in the G7, the lowest unemployment rate in nearly 40 help low-income working seniors, Bill C-97 proposes to increase the years, and a 20% reduction in poverty in 2017. It never occurred to earnings exemption for the guaranteed income supplement and to them to reduce poverty and inequality. It was the right thing to do for expand the exemption to self-employment income. This means that the country. To us it is obvious that the more inclusive our prosperity more low-income working seniors would be able to keep more of is and the more we reduce inequality, the better off the entire their pay and their benefits. Canadian economy will be. We are also taking steps to ensure that everyone who is eligible receives her or his retirement benefit from the CPP. While the That is what we have managed to do and that is what we will standard age to receive CPP benefits is 65, some people choose to continue to do. delay receiving their retirement benefits until age 70, at which time they will receive a bit more each month. A small number of people, however, are currently missing out on receiving their CPP benefits. The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mr. Anthony Rota): The hon. This happens because some apply too late, and some do not apply at member will have 10 minutes for questions and comments when the all. To ensure that all Canadian workers receive the full value of the House resumes debate on this bill. benefits they deserve, this BIA proposes to proactively enrol, as of 2020, CPP contributors who are age 70 or older who have not yet applied to receive their retirement benefits. It is estimated that approximately 40,000 Canadians would begin to receive a retirement It being 5:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the pension as a result. They deserve that money. Making sure that they consideration of private members' business as listed on today's get it is the right thing to do, and this legislation would make it Order Paper. happen. Budget 2019 and Bill C-97 are about investing in people, and I have given plenty of examples in this speech. However, it is also about investing in communities. That is why budget 2019 proposes to support local infrastructure priorities by providing a one-time top- up of $2.2 billion, doubling the federal municipal infrastructure PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS commitment in 2018-19. This $2.2 billion injection of cash this year would help cities and towns of all sizes, as well as indigenous communities. It would provide them with much-needed funds to [English] address short-term priorities and crucial repairs and help them finance other important projects, such as recreational arenas, soccer facilities, new roads, public transit extensions, improvements to HEALTH CARE DELIVERY IN RURAL CANADA drinking water infrastructure and so on. Transferring funds to communities will get projects built. Supporting this BIA will get projects built. Hon. Robert Nault (Kenora, Lib.) moved: In recent years, this funding has supported approximately 4,000 projects each year that have contributed to productivity and That the House: (a) call on the Standing Committee on Health to undertake a economic growth, a cleaner environment and stronger communities. study and report its findings to determine (i) the factors that contribute to significant disparities in the health outcomes of rural Canadians, compared to those in urban We promised this help, and we are delivering in this BIA. centres, (ii) strategies, including the use of modern and rapidly improving communications technologies, to improve health care delivery to rural Canadians; I could go on about what is in this budget, because when it comes and (b) call on the government to work with the provinces and territories, and to investing in the middle class, there is a lot of good news to share. relevant stakeholders, to further address and improve health care delivery in rural However, I will conclude with this. Canadians have made a lot of Canada. progress since the fall of 2015. They should be proud of the strong communities and the strong economy they have helped build. [Translation] He said: Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a pleasure to get the chance to speak to my private member's motion, Motion No. 226, I think it is a source of pride for Canadians, or it should be, that in which relates to health care delivery in rural Canada. three short years, we managed to turn around the situation that the Stephen Harper government ineptly and regrettably got us into. During that decade, we saw the lowest growth in employment since As a representative of the Kenora riding, one of the largest rural the Second World War, the lowest growth in exports and a disastrous ridings in Canada, which stretches from almost the American border economic record. all the way to Hudson Bay, I know this is probably one of the easiest ● (1730) ridings to use to explain what it means for an area to be remote and inaccessible, or accessible only by plane or a winter road when the They also managed to add $150 billion to the national debt. lakes freeze over. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28603

Private Members' Business This is an important subject matter for all rural Canadians, ● (1735) because it is one of those issues all Canadians think about, which is their health care, the health care delivery and the ability of I would like to take a minute to provide an example of health care government to deliver health care products to all Canadians, delivery in the north so that we can see how different it is from the particularly in the north. For these reasons, northwestern Ontario urban experience. presents a unique case study in many ways. From infrastructure to environment, transportation and employment, the north forces us to In September 2018, the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health think outside the box. Authority released “Our Children and Youth Health Report”, which represents the experiences of 31 first nations communities in the Health care can be approached from many different angles, Sioux Lookout area. including mental health treatment, health care providers and availability, prescription drug coverage and culturally appropriate Since 1991, the population of the Sioux Lookout area first nations care, just to name a few. has grown by 74%. The primary point of care for the majority of these communities is the local nursing station, and in many cases, The 2016 Statistics Canada census data indicates that Canada's emergency services are available only by plane. For example, population was over 35 million individuals, of whom 16.8% live in women from Sioux Lookout first nations leave their homes and rural Canada. The 2006 report by the Canadian Institute for Health families and travel hundreds of kilometres to give birth at a hospital. Information entitled “How Healthy are Rural Canadians? An Can members imagine being put in a situation like that? In these Assessment of Their Health Status and Health Determinants” found communities, basically for all the births, families have to fly out, that rural Canadians have higher death rates, higher infant mortality leave for weeks when it is close to the due date, and then be prepared rates and shorter life expectancies than their urban counterparts. to spend weeks waiting for the child to be born.

Health-related factors such as a higher proportion of smokers, The primary point of care for the majority of these communities is lower consumption of fruit and vegetables, and obesity disproportio- their local nursing station, and in many cases, emergency services nately affect rural residents. Additionally, the population in rural are available only by plane. For example, women from Sioux areas tends to be older than in urban areas. Lookout area first nations leave their homes, as I said, and if infants need emergency care, they are transported out by medevac, because The recruitment and retention of physicians and health care there are no emergency departments in these communities. Since professionals are also a significant challenge. Throughout the years 2012, there has been an 11% increase in the rate of emergency room that I have been involved in this, it has never been easy to find visits for infants. enough professionals to work in rural Canada. According to 2016 data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, there were In the Sioux Lookout area, first nations youth attend the approximately 84,000 physicians in Canada, of whom only 6,790, or emergency room department for mental health reasons at a rate five 8% , practised in rural settings. times greater than the Ontario average. Between 2012 and 2016, the rate of emergency department visits for mental health increased by In 2006, the Canadian Institute for Health Information issued a 123%. report that found that populations living in rural areas had a shorter average life expectancy by almost three years for men, as well as These are examples of just some of the issues faced by rural and higher smoking rates compared to their urban counterparts. These remote communities when it comes to health care delivery. I am here numbers are statistically significant, according to the report. to talk about how we can find a way to deal with the challenges that rural communities face in making sure that their health care and their Mortality risk for diseases such as heart disease and heart attacks, standards are equal to the health care standards of urban centres. as well as respiratory diseases like influenza and pneumonia, were also significantly higher in rural versus large urban areas. There is a Jurisdictional issues pose one of the largest roadblocks to variation in the levels of services available, as rural areas lack the providing quality health care in the north. What is the role of our population base to warrant the construction of extensive health levels of government in this game of what I would call jurisdictional infrastructure. football? The federal government is responsible for the delivery of health care to certain population groups. Of course, the provinces are In addition, rural and remote communities face challenges in responsible for the general population of the province. recruiting and retaining health care professionals. I will keep repeating that, because it is something we talk about in my riding Section 10 of the Canada Health Act stipulates that each almost weekly. province's health insurance scheme must be universal, which means that it “must entitle one hundred per cent of the insured persons of On the youth side, there is no process for measuring health the province to the insured health services provided for by the plan”. disparities in Canada. If we look at the experience of rural children What does this mean? It boils down to the need for a collaborative and youth in the health care system, we get a good idea of what is approach. Rather than working from the top down, we need to happening. Indigenous populations, particularly those that are rural approach these communities and regions to establish their unique and remote, are the most underserved communities in all of Canada. needs and find those solutions. 28604 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Private Members' Business Simply put, there is no cookie-cutter answer, and what works for have the population density to build some of the health infrastructure one community may not work for another. The bottom line is that we necessary to deliver adequate services, we must look at existing, new need to listen to those who live and work within the system every and emerging technologies to address this service gap. This day to make sure that we understand how to deliver health care in particular type of study has never been undertaken in Canada, so I rural Canada. look forward to working with all parties to see that it takes place. When we have these discussions, sometimes it is hard for people to compare apples and apples or oranges and oranges, so I spent In my riding, we are working on an all nations hospital. We are some time doing some comparisons between Canada and Australia. looking at health care delivery in our region from the perspective of Like most developed countries, Canada and Australia have publicly an all nations hospital health care system, to include everyone in the funded, universal health care coverage. The two countries have region. We have included all governments and the local communities similar population densities and geographic areas. As of June 2018, to look at how best to deliver those kinds of services. This is a just under 25 million people resided in Australia, and 11.4% resided potential way forward. in remote or rural locations. The Australian federal government is playing an active role in addressing health disparities between urban and rural or remote populations. I think that working together, as we did last week with the Minister of Indigenous Services when we announced our govern- ● (1740) ment's support for the all nations hospital health care system, we can The Australian government provides funding to incentivize find ways to better deliver health care in rural communities. physicians to work in rural or remote areas and to encourage the uptake of telemedicine technology in those areas. Like rural Canada, In conclusion, no matter whether a person is rich or poor, young or rural Australia is under-serviced with respect to the number of old, living in a rural or urban setting, Canada's public health care physicians. However, the Australian government also realizes that to system must provide equal access and care to all. I believe very change that, it needs to have a solution. This is what Australia is much that this government and this Parliament have a role to play in doing, and it is something that I think Canada should consider. making sure that we do the right assessments and find the right structures to put in place good health care. Like rural Canada, rural Australia is under-serviced, so in 2009, the Rural Health Standing Committee of the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council was asked to develop a national My last point is that if people are to be allowed to live their lives strategic framework for rural and remote health. It was published in in rural Canada, including as seniors throughout their retirement 2011, and then updated in 2016. years, we are going to have to find the right health care system to make sure that this takes place. Otherwise, as I hear from all my In 2014, the Australian government implemented the indigenous colleagues, a lot of seniors move to urban centres because they have Australians' health programme to improve access to health services few choices for places to live in rural Canada. that are culturally appropriate, throughout Australia.

In June 2017, the Government of Australia passed legislation to ● (1745) establish a national rural health commissioner, as part of the government's efforts to reform health care in rural and remote Australia. As in Canada, the indigenous population in Australia is I thank the House for the opportunity to say a few words about more likely than non-indigenous Australians to have respiratory this motion. diseases, mental health problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, as well as reduced life expectancy. Hon. K. Kellie Leitch (Simcoe—Grey, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I will be supporting this motion by the member for Kenora. It is a In the private members' business we are in, it is always good to try study that is long overdue. to do this from the perspective of making sure that it is non-partisan and that it crosses party lines. Last month, I was pleased to second Bill C-451, an act to establish a children’s health commissioner of I, like the member opposite, represent a rural riding, but I will also Canada, which was put forward by the member for Simcoe—Grey. say as a physician that patients who live in rural communities have Bill C-451 puts priority on the well-being, health, security and substantive and challenging issues. In Nunavut, if someone sprains education of children and youth by recognizing that every child has their ankle, we can take care of that. However, if a child breaks their the right to enjoy a standard of living that allows for the child's femur there, it is an expensive endeavour, both for the parents and physical, mental and social development to flourish. To help see the government, to bring them all the way to Ottawa to be treated. these measures through, the bill seeks to establish an independent commissioner to report, advise and provide recommendations to I support the member's motion, but I would like to ask him if there Parliament. are some specifics that we should be focusing on in the study to To complement Bill C-451, my motion seeks to shed further light make sure that rural Canadians receive the health care they deserve. on the health care delivery gaps between rural and urban Canadians. This area needs to be studied, because current evaluations of the Hon. Robert Nault: Mr. Speaker, there are some specifics I am health status of rural Canadians are very limited. Because we do not looking for the health committee to review. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28605

Private Members' Business First of all, I would like to see the health committee go back and come and go, and we will all be back in some form. We will want to look at some of the reports and some of the commitments that were continue to move on this conversation. I think rural Canadians made by all levels of government in the early 2000s. In 2004 and deserve better than they are getting. We have not put enough time 2006, the federal government was in the process of negotiating with and emphasis on this issue. the provinces, and part of the program for putting health care dollars in the hands of the provinces through equalization payments and I personally want to live my life in rural Canada, and I do not want through our social development program was to also include studies to have to move when I get older because of health care or the lack and/or analysis of health care throughout those provinces. In my of it. It is in the same way that this conversation is very fundamental case, in Ontario, it was intended to be an opportunity to look at and and important for all rural Canadians. report on the success of health care delivery in Ontario, both rural and urban. That did not take place. [Translation] In fact, I am still wondering and questioning why no province has Ms. (Sarnia—Lambton, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I reported on that commitment that was made a number of years ago to am pleased to rise today to speak to Motion No. 226. which seeks to tell Parliament and Canadians and rural Canadians just how their give instructions to the Standing Committee on Health regarding health care system was being delivered. health care delivery in rural Canada. In answer to other questions that I will get in the next few minutes, I will elaborate on what I mean by that. There is an extremely concerning shortage of family doctors and nurses in Canada, particularly in rural areas. The lack of broadband ● (1750) Internet also prevents rural communities from accessing online [Translation] health services. The committee should also consider the worrisome Ms. Christine Moore (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, NDP): deterioration of rural hospitals in its study. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know why the member only moved one motion in the last four years. The motion was tabled last April. [English]

Why is this the only motion he tabled? Why did he table a motion I want to thank the member for Kenora for bringing the motion that is not binding instead of a bill that would have been a lot more before the House. My daughter was a nurse in his lovely riding, so binding? Why did he move a motion calling for study in committee, she is well acquainted with its hospital and the health care services when we know that will never happen? The House will adjourn in that are available there. two weeks and we will surely not have time to vote on the motion. [English] As the member for Sarnia—Lambton, I note that Sarnia is a Hon. Robert Nault: Mr. Speaker, the member would be aware mixture of urban and rural, so there are also quite a number of parts that I did not choose when I could present my motion. That is done of my riding where services and transportation are not available. by a process in this place. If I had been one of the first on the list, the motion would have been here two or three years ago. That is not the I would like to start by talking about the current situation in health issue. care in general in Canada.

The real issue, as many of us know and as many of us will argue, We know there is already a shortage of doctors and nurses across is that we do not need to have this conversation, because it is a the country. I have travelled from coast to coast to coast and spoken provincial jurisdiction. Health care being a provincial jurisdiction, with people in various ridings. I would like to give members a few the Government of Canada cannot move legislation to make things examples of the shortage, starting with what I think is one of the different in relation to rural care. We need a partnership with all the worst cases I have heard, which is Cape Breton. other levels of government, including provincial, municipal and first nations. Cape Breton was missing 52 emergency room physicians and a What I am looking for is co-operation from all governments, vascular surgeon. People who cut an artery in Cape Breton would including indigenous and municipal, as I was talking about earlier in lose a limb or die because they would not be able to get to Halifax in relation to my region, so that we can find better ways to deliver time to get the services. health care services. Let us look across the country. Given the wait times in Ottawa, it I have said, and I will say again, that this is not a partisan issue. takes six years to get a family doctor. The former member for This is what Canada is all about. We have a huge piece of geography Nanaimo—Ladysmith ran provincially, and one of the priority issues and we are trying our best to make sure that all citizens, no matter she brought up was the shortage of doctors in B.C. Truly, there is a where they live, have good health care and better health care shortage of health care workers. indicators, as I mentioned in my earlier comments. Our health care indicators in rural Canada are not as good as they are in the urban centres. This is particularly disturbing, as we have an aging population. Right now, one in six people is a senior, and that will be one in four We need to work together. We need to start this debate. If I were in the next six to 10 years. With that comes a need for a number of the member, I would not worry so much about the election. Elections different services. 28606 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Private Members' Business First of all, we are seeing a movement toward more chronic practitioners providing various services. Because the doctors did not disease, in part due to rising obesity rates, smoking issues and so on. have to be sole family physicians working umpteen hours in practice Also, as people are living longer, we are seeing an increase in and then being on call for emergencies, the balance of life and work dementia, and there is a need for palliative care. Of course, I have was much better. There was a real effort made to attract doctors to been a strong advocate for palliative care during my time in the that practice. They are doing a fine job and making services very House. About 70% of Canadians do not have any access to palliative accessible to people who live nearby. In fact, because of the quality, care, and this is especially true in rural and remote places. It is a in some cases people are even coming from Sarnia to Petrolia to pressing problem. access services. As I look to the government that has been in power for four years, I see absolutely no plan to address the gaps that exist regarding the resources for health care workers and all the infrastructure needed in We need to come up with solutions on how to provide health care places like Petrolia, which is one of the hamlets within my riding. and work with the provinces and territories. Every region is different. Right now, the electrical and mechanical systems in place at the We talked about some of the barriers, such as travel during bad Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital are so obsolete and so likely to weather, for accessing services, but in some places, the problems are fail that Petrolia is planning how it will shut down the hospital when different. Some places have an aging population. In my riding, 50% the systems fail. All of the patients will have to be moved to the of people are over the age of 57, so care for seniors is a key issue, nearby high school. Petrolia needs $5 million to repair that and I know that is true as well in Nova Scotia and a number of places infrastructure. across the country. I could tell members similar stories, from across the nation, of hospitals that have not received any funding for infrastructure. Clearly the provinces do not have money for that. One solution the At the end of the day, I would be happy to have the health government could bring forward in that light is a program that would committee study this issue. I wish we had time in this parliamentary specify rural hospitals and their infrastructure needs, which would session, but, as has already been pointed out, it is unlikely that a address some of the outstanding issues there. study could be taken up at this point in time. Perhaps it will happen Another need in many rural and remote places is broadband in a future Parliament. Internet. As we move increasingly to using virtual services, such as virtual palliative care and virtual consultations, communities need broadband Internet to receive them. There is a huge need for this in This is an urgent need and something we need to consider. We the north. My riding has several places without good access to the Internet. I think it will be incredibly important to address this need. need to put together a plan that will identify the health care workers required and how to get them. In some cases, there are enough ● (1755) workers in Canada; in some cases, we will have to change how we One of the other problems with the rural and remote health care train doctors, for example. There was a very innovative example in system is just accessing the services. Transportation can be very New Brunswick, where, although there is no teaching hospital or costly and, as the member for Kenora has mentioned, it can take a university for residencies, the province partnered with Dalhousie really long time. In Kenora, people transit by airplane. In my riding, University and Sherbrooke for a residency program that would even though there are many services, a lot of people have to go to provide medical services in New Brunswick and allow doctors to be nearby London, which is an hour away. For low-income people and certified. That kind of innovation is needed to address the health care those who do not have transportation, there is no service to take them worker issue. for weekly cancer treatments or other procedures. Transportation is a big barrier, and we need to find solutions to address that. There have been some really innovative solutions that I In addition, there is a need for an infrastructure plan, as I have discovered when I was working on the palliative care private mentioned, for broadband Internet and hospital care and other member's bill. One of them was the use of paramedics to deliver services. For example, we see an increasing need for home care. palliative care. Trained paramedics, during the hours they are not Home care in rural and remote situations is increasingly difficult taking care of emergencies, would distribute pain medications and because of the amount of travel time and, in some cases, the weather, perform procedures that patients need. This is really cost-efficient, etc. because they are already on the payroll, and it is a great service for people who have trouble accessing services and cannot get the transportation they need. It is those kinds of innovations that will be really important as we move forward. When we get this plan together with the resources and infrastructure and decide which services we will need as we move Another issue in my riding—and I heard it is also an issue in toward more chronic disease and an aging population with more Kenora—has to do with how to attract doctors, nurses and health dementia, thus requiring more palliative care, then we can start to care workers to go to rural places. There has to be some kind of execute that plan. It could not happen soon enough because, as I incentive. One of the great innovations, also in Petrolia, was a clinic have said, one person in six being a senior now will be one in four that was put together with multiple family physicians and nurse within six to 10 years. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28607

Private Members' Business It is an urgent issue, and I am happy to support this motion. With respect to the labour shortage, there is another useful measure that falls within federal jurisdiction: improving the ● (1800) immigration process and the recruitment of foreign professionals. I [Translation] have often been told by hospital administrators that they had found a Ms. Christine Moore (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, NDP): Mr. very interesting candidate, a specialist from abroad. The specialist Speaker, I would first like to clarify something about the motion. was interested in the position but was discouraged by the process and Although the federal government does have jurisdictional powers chose to settle in another country where procedures are much less over certain aspects of heath care, including that of ensuring that all complex. The process is expensive and very complicated. Also, Canadians have equal access to health care services, the actual immigration services do not exist in rural regions. implementation of health services is a provincial responsibility. ● (1805) The federal government provides health transfers to the provinces, but it is up to the provinces and the provinces alone to decide how to A hospital board that wants to recruit abroad does not even have use those funds. Managing all health services falls under the access to services in its region where it can get help and support and exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces. This motion is aimed at find out the most effective way of handling the process. If the board improving the delivery of health services. It therefore interferes wants access to those services, it has to manage by telephone, by directly in a provincial jurisdiction. The member himself even Internet or by talking to agents who do not really understand all the admitted it. Strategies and communications technologies pertain to ins and outs of the process. It is extremely complex. The member health care management, so this motion extends beyond the federal could have asked for immigration services to be set up in rural areas. government's general jurisdiction. Only the provinces can deliver That would also have helped in terms of recruitment. health care directly to Canadians and are able to develop the strategies needed to change health care management. To help improve care and services in rural areas, the member could have done something about travel. Patients often have to travel The NDP recognizes the importance of respecting provincial long distances, which gets expensive. That is difficult from a jurisdiction, especially in Quebec. That is why we adopted the financial perspective. Sherbrooke declaration, which acknowledges Canada's asymmetry and affirms Quebec's right to opt out with compensation. The member's motion directly interferes in an area under provincial In order to be entitled to the medical expense tax credit, which can jurisdiction. include travel expenses, a person must be making a certain income. If that person did not pay any taxes, he or she is not entitled to the Let me say that the timing of this motion is peculiar. When the tax credit. In the end, we are not helping those who would benefit the member answered my question, he said that he did not choose when most from this help, those who cannot afford to pay for travel to present his motion, but the fact is, he most certainly did have a expenses. choice. He could have chosen to present any number of measures over the past four years. There are quite a few concrete measures that the member could have chosen instead of moving a motion calling for a committee For example, I myself presented a number of bills and motions study that will never be done. That is why the motion does not sit that I believed merited the attention of the House even though I was well with me. I can see that the member is genuinely concerned well aware they would not be debated. Unfortunately, members have about health care in rural areas, but I am having a hard time only one chance to introduce a bill of their own, and that is if they understanding why he chose such an ineffectual way to address the are lucky. The member presented the motion a month ago knowing issue. It is most unfortunate, especially considering he has been an full well it would probably never be voted on. This motion would MP for four years. Some of us have been here longer, but the have to go to committee, but that will never happen. member has been in the House of Commons for four years. He could have sought advice. He knows enough about how things work that If the member truly wanted to improve the health outcomes of he should have realized this was not the best way to proceed. rural Canadians, which, I recognize, is a very important issue, he could have chosen measures that do not overstep federal jurisdiction. For example, he could have asked that federal health transfers be If the member is really interested in what has been going on with increased by the amount requested by the provinces. The Quebec new technologies, he could have asked the research service for help. health minister has said that the federal government must stop All MPs have access to the services of the Library of Parliament for meddling in provincial jurisdictions and that it start by increasing our conducting research. For instance, the member could have asked the health transfers. Library of Parliament to perform an exhaustive search for different strategies that have been used in various regions across Canada or Lack of money is one of the biggest obstacles to the around the world to improve services in rural areas. That would have implementation of different technologies that could help rural generated plenty of fascinating reading material for him. Canadians. Hospitals are already accumulating deficits because they pay nurses a lot of overtime due to the shortage of staff and staff When new technologies become established, scientific, medical or burnout. Unfortunately, the increase in health transfers is not enough nursing journals often publish articles highlighting their positive to meet provincial needs. That is one thing that the member could impact. The data on the methodology are already available and have requested and that would have fallen within federal jurisdiction. accessible to anyone who is interested. 28608 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Private Members' Business Once again, I understand the member's desire to improve health Although the percentage of Canadians living in rural Canada has care services in rural areas, but I do not think that we should be continued to decrease over the centuries, there has been a major shift trying to make improvements by interfering in provincial jurisdic- within Canada's economy from an agricultural-based and industrial- tions. based economy. We can agree that rural Canada continues to be a very crucial part of Canada and contributes directly to Canada in I suggested a number of ways to find a much more effective many ways. That is why we have to find doctors, we have to bring in solution for our rural areas. These methods fall within federal broadband and we have to do more for rural Canada and bring that jurisdiction. lens. This is why our government just appointed a new minister for rural Canada. That guarantees us that we will focus even more on I strongly urge my colleague to talk to his colleagues and to listen these issues. to Quebec's minister of health and social services. She has suggested that the current government stop interfering in provincial jurisdiction over health care and immediately increase federal transfers to the Canadians take pride in the fact that we live in a country where we provinces so that they can implement the measures that are already are fortunate enough to have a world-class medical system. on the table but cannot be implemented because of a lack of money However, while the health care system is successful, our government and commitment from the federal government. recognizes that there are some discrepancies that exist, especially in the rural context. ● (1810) [English] The Canadian institute of health 2006 report, “How Healthy Are Mr. (Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, Lib.): Rural Canadians? An Assessment of Their Health Status and Health Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to speak to Motion No. 226, Determinants”, found that rural Canadians have higher death rates, concerning health care delivery in rural Canada. This is a very higher infant mortality rates and a shorter life expectancy than their important motion. urban counterparts. These health disparities are even more pronounced in indigenous communities located in rural areas. First A good part of the riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook in nations men and women have average life expectancies that are 8.4 Nova Scotia, just on the outskirts of Halifax-Dartmouth, is rural. In and 7.9 years shorter, respectively, than other Canadians. The Nova Scotia, all surveys indicate that 24% to 26% of Nova Scotians determinants of health in rural populations in Canada differentiates feel that this is a top priority for Nova Scotia and so it is a big issue. their health needs and outcomes from urban populations. Health- One reason is that 70% of our communities in all of Atlantic Canada related factors, such as higher proportions of smokers, lower are rural. Therefore, we have some challenges and this is a good consumption of fruit and vegetables, and obesity disproportionately example of the challenges we have. affect rural residents.

In my riding in the eastern shore area, the residents have been ● (1815) looking for a doctor and nurses for a number of years. We are in dire need of supporting the communities and helping them to find solutions. This discussion is moving that agenda forward. I and The availability of medical professionals in rural areas is also a members of the Nova Scotia caucus have had discussions with the very important issue. A recent study of the medical profession, minister to try to find different incentives and strategies that we conducted by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, found could put together to move this forward. that in 2017 only 8% of physicians was working in rural communities when 18% of Canadians lived there. Once again, for I like the motion that my colleague has brought forward. It would indigenous peoples living in rural communities the situation is even allow for various solutions to come to the table. Recruiting high worse. According to a 2015-16 regional health survey, 22.6% of first school students from rural communities to get into medical school nations people over the age of 18 face even more barriers in trying to and bringing them to practise and do their residency in their rural find an available doctor. communities, those factors could help act as different incentives. Again, I want to thank the member for Kenora for drawing this to the The statistics demonstrate that the recruitment and retention of attention of the House. I also want to recognize his hard work on this health care professionals, such as physicians, is a significant agenda because he has been a strong member of the Liberal rural challenge in rural communities. This may be because personal and caucus for four years. professional considerations, such as social isolation and longer work This motion has two major objectives. One is to have the hours, are factors that disproportionately affect rural medical committee conduct a study and bring witnesses to find solutions. In professionals compared to urban counterparts. Despite the challenges the second objective, the member calls on the government to further associated with rural medicine, there are many solutions available to address and improve health care delivery in rural Canada by working us. with provinces and territories and stakeholders. When people talk about jurisdiction, we are all in here together. It is the responsibility While primary responsibility for the provision and delivery of of all levels of government, even if an area belongs to a particular health care services falls under provincial and territorial govern- jurisdiction, to work together to find solutions to make life better for ments, the Government of Canada recognizes that we also have a Canadians right across this country. That is the opportunity this role to play and welcomes constructive feedback to help move this motion brings. agenda forward. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28609

Private Members' Business For instance, it has been shown that medical graduates from rural of all ages deal with these issues, but primarily in a rural area where backgrounds or who have practised or have had residencies in rural one has to go so far. People cannot just go down the street for their communities are more likely to stay. In order to retain more treatment; it could be several hours away. physicians in rural communities, governments could explore providing greater levels of support for high schools students, such Another issue is the number of health care providers who provide as inviting them to take on the sciences, and increasing the a certain service. If we look at mental health, people may require acceptance rate of medical school applicants for rural areas. That treatment, but they might be told it could take three months to get an would be a big help as well. appointment. When people are at the point where they have come forward and have asked for help, to tell them that can get that help in In 2018, a pre-budget submission of the College of Family three months is not a solution to the problem. Getting hard data to Physicians of Canada, entitled “Advancing Rural Family Medicine”, put into this report would be fantastic and would build out these also argued that more needed to be done to support specific action plans. I know there is lot of it out there, but we need to competencies for rural family doctors and rural specialist medicine hammer this home. and to provide support for obtaining these competencies through physician training and practices. In rural Ontario, where I am from, there have been higher rates of Once again, I cannot enforce this point enough. It is very diabetes, heart disease and obesity for years and decades. Numerous important to get together and get this job done to help rural strategies have been put together with respect to this, but we need communities with health care. proactive health care in our rural communities. We need facilities that will promote a healthy lifestyle and get people out exercising. Health care delivery in rural areas is extremely important. Moving this agenda forward will require more research and coordination COPD are is unique to communities as are some forms of cancer. across all jurisdictions. Let us find out how we can help these We need further information on that moving forward. communities on the ground. Baby boomers are getting to the age where they have a different I would like to thank my colleague from Kenora again for set of health care requirements than they once had. In my bringing the motion forward. I would also like to thank the House for community, there is now a geriatrician, which is a vital specialist, providing me with the opportunity to speak to this important issue. to provide help to our aging population. I am from a rural Nova Scotians, Atlantic Canadians and rural communities across community, Huron County and Bruce County, which is on Ontario's the country need our support. It is our responsibility to work with the west coast. It is a favourite destination for retirees to head to when provinces and territories to find solutions so we can ensure we have they are of that age. We have a higher proportion of seniors than more medical doctors and nurses in our rural communities. other communities. Therefore, a geriatrician is a vital physician. ● (1820) A couple of weeks ago, one of our beloved members from British Mr. (Huron—Bruce, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is a Columbia talked about the issue of palliative care doctors. We could pleasure to rise in the House of Commons today. As a lifetime use a lot of palliative care doctors in our rural communities, which resident of a rural community, it is a pleasure to talk about rural would help provide a fitting tribute to some of our hard-working health care and rural issues. Canadians. Just talking with different health care providers in the riding, talking to farmers in our communities and what we see in the news, Doctor attraction and retention has been an issue in our rural mental health issues in our rural communities are probably the most communities. Going back 20 years ago, for example, Goderich, with significant we have ever seen. I do not mean to point farmers out, but a population of over 10,000 people, needed doctors. It put together a people in the agriculture sector feel this due to the stresses of great doctor attraction and retention program. finances, crop prices, trade, last year's harvest and this year's spring ● (1825) planting. Therefore, when we look at the entire package of health care, mental health needs to be a priority. Of course, the proposed Many may know of Gwen Devereaux from Seaforth, Ontario. study will not happen in this Parliament, but hopefully it will in the From coast to coast, she has been educating and informing 43rd parliament. Canadians on how to attract doctors to rural communities. She has Youth suicide is another issue. The youth suicide rate in rural been on CBC and different radio stations, talking about what she has communities is higher than anywhere else. Any information or done. strategies we can put together to dovetail mental health and youth suicide rates would be very important. Someone else mentioned that having a beautiful state-of-the-art clinic would attract physicians to the area. Spouses having Another topic is addiction. There is an opioid addiction crisis from meaningful employment would go a long way in attracting a coast to coast in our small communities. Opioids are a big issue as is physician to a certain community. The provision of services, which crystal meth. It does not really matter what part of the country we are can be as basic as broadband Internet or a community centre with a in at this point in time, it is in every one of our communities. fitness centre, would also help. All of these things contribute to Therefore, addiction and mental health treatment and having attracting well-educated physicians, nurses, radiologists or whatever facilities that are world class and state of the art would help people position to go into communities, plant roots and live there. 28610 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders When most doctors and other health practitioners make a GOVERNMENT ORDERS commitment to rural communities, they love it and want to stay, and people are happy to have them. There has been a lot of improvement with e-health records from [English] coast to coast. It defies logic to look at our phones and see what the technology sector can do, yet health continues to lag behind. It is making innovations, but it is lagging behind. Another good MEMBERS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION TO THE 43RD innovation is the Ontario Telehealth Network, which we are happy PARLIAMENT to have. It is changing outcomes in people's lives. I think we can all agree that we need hard infrastructure. For The Deputy Speaker: It being 6:31 p.m., pursuant to order made example, communities need CT scanners. For people who have on Tuesday, May 28, the House will now proceed to statements by strokes or heart attacks, scanners can make a difference in their lives. members not seeking re-election in the 43rd Parliament. However, does it make sense that a community has to fundraise to have a CT scanner in its hospital? It defies logic. When we talk about ways the federal government can work with all jurisdictions, why Before we begin this evening's debate, I would like to remind hon. make a community pay for that? There may be strategic ways to members of how the proceedings will unfold. provide funding for CT scanners. Something else communities desire are hospices. They are few [Translation] and far between. Communities have to fundraise to build them. In Ontario, where I am from, if communities are fortunate enough to have funding for the land, which is only 60%, they have to continue to fundraise in perpetuity for the other 40%. The federal government Each member speaking will be allotted 10 minutes. No time will could play a role in working on a national plan to change this and be be allotted for questions and comments. a little more fair to communities. It is the same thing for long-term care. Many long-term care [English] facilities are way out of date and need serious upgrades. There are no addiction treatment centres in my area. They are regional, yes, but there is a whole pile of changes we could make to that. The order also prescribes that tonight's debate will be interrupted after three hours or when no member rises to speak. Last, and probably most important, if we do this study in the 43rd Parliament, the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health should be invited. It is in my riding and it is the only research facility like this in Canada. It was modelled on a U.S. idea. It does rural We will begin with the hon. member for West Vancouver— health research in partnership with universities. The best and Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country. brightest minds come to my community every year to do rural health research, and people are so happy for it. Again, they do it on their own dime. It would great if the federal government and the provinces [Translation] could come together and provide operational funding to different research facilities like this, which provide great research to rural Ms. Pamela Goldsmith-Jones (West Vancouver—Sunshine Canada and, in some cases, encourage these bright, young minds to Coast—Sea to Sky Country, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, dear parliamen- stay in the area. tary colleagues, I believe in a policy of inclusion and engagement. I look forward to coming back in the 43rd Parliament. I am sure my colleagues across the way would like otherwise. Regardless of the outcome, it would be great if the health committee would do this [English] study and look at moving beyond jurisdictions.

National defence provides health care and we provide all sorts of In public life, I try to practise adaptation, reconciliation, health care to indigenous Canadians. There is a role for us. If we all obligation, understanding and compromise. I believe this is how work together, we could rise above the partisan lines. we achieve lasting change, and today I would like to share some outcomes of this past term as a result. I wish all my colleagues the very best this summer and in the election in October. ● (1830) Picture being on the west coast of Canada. In the Pacific The Deputy Speaker: The time provided for the consideration of northwest, salmon probably arrived first. Salmon best describe the Private Members' Business has now expired and the order is dropped co-evolution of human life with the natural world. They are the to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order Paper. ultimate statement of being in this world together, which we all are. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28611

Government Orders In 2015, I was worried about the survival of the DFO lab on the investors who are already moving us toward a low carbon future. waterfront in West Vancouver, because under the previous govern- No amount of yelling comes close to innovation and inclusion. ment, the property faced the very real possibility of being sold. Under the new name of the Pacific Science Enterprise Centre, which was just a name, we reached out to science partners, community Obligation means that no one should be afraid to expose money leaders, the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam nations, and laundering in Canada. The Pacific caucus stressed this to the minister local DFO staff to create a vision for renewed investment and in 2015, and early studies began. I am very pleased that Minister scientific research. Our ideas had to gain acceptance from the Eby, in B.C., is pursuing this and that our government is supportive. minister and staff at DFO as well as from Public Services and Procurement Canada to justify a long-term reinvestment. Our housing strategy responds directly to the values of equality For me, working with staff behind the scenes in two departments and inclusion, as does the Canada child benefit. in Ottawa was very challenging. I was asking them to create a major culture shift, and they were amazing. I have always and will always be working toward truth and The following are absolute firsts in the history of DFO. reconciliation. For me, we should be more afraid of exclusion than inclusion. The Coastal Ocean Research Institute has moved 18 scientists into the lab who use the new lab space for research into ocean plastics. West Vancouver's Streamkeepers and multiple stewardship groups Turning to global affairs, I would like to thank two ministers of use the facility now all the time. foreign affairs who I have had the privilege of serving as parliamentary secretary. The West Vancouver School District developed a senior curriculum, and the first class will graduate this June with high school diplomas in environmental studies, having spent all year long ● (1835) accessing the ocean, the creeks, the waterfront and the DFO scientists who work at the lab. In 2015, on the first day I met with minister Dion, he said three Squamish Nation children and elders have returned home with things: one, I must know my files; two, I must not let him down in their ocean-going canoes, and there is a lineup of partners wishing to the House of Commons; and three, I must tell him one thing I wanted work with the Pacific Science Enterprise Centre. to achieve, and he would support me. Ocean plastics, glass sponge reefs, underwater vessel noise, habitat loss, cetaceans, ocean warming and marine protected areas: I said I would like to work on women, peace and security. Women We know now that solving complex environmental challenges takes play a marginal role, at best, in bringing peace in international off when the federal government opens up. conflict situations. It is short-sighted in the extreme. The research is clear: when women are involved in peace-building, peace negotia- In the same spirit, I am particularly proud that our government tions, peace talks and the implementation of peace processes, honours the knowledge of local governments. Investment in outcomes are better. Today, under the leadership of our current infrastructure means equality for all Canadians through clean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada's foreign policy is a feminist drinking water, waste water treatment, public transportation, secure foreign policy, as is our international development policy. housing and access to digital technology. The national agenda has benefited from the inclusion of local priorities. The Government of Canada is committed to improving opportu- In health, collaboration and research is fundamental. I chair the nities for women in defence and for women in policing. The all-party juvenile diabetes caucus, which garnered a $15-million Government of Canada has just launched the equality fund to federal investment. Matched by a $15-million contribution from the leverage the philanthropic community and the private sector to build Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a $30-million health gender equality. research partnership formed between JDRF and the Canadian Institute for Health Research, which was another first. I would like to thank and extend my gratitude to the current It is also obvious when we are missing the spirit of understanding Minister of Foreign Affairs. She leads with considerable knowledge and compromise, perhaps most profoundly felt today in the and experience, with pragmatism and with understanding. disconnect between British Columbia and Alberta. Western Canada needs to stick together. We matter: for our innovation, our enterprise, our experimentalism and our strong environmentalism. The hope for I would also like to thank the former minister of international trade our energy future lies with innovation by the clean tech sector. It lies because he placed his trust in me. He credited his whole team with with companies that understand that a price on pollution drives our successes, and he led an effort that built and broadened free trade innovation, with indigenous communities that want to work together agreements with Europe and the trans-Pacific region. We worked to transition Canada to a clean energy future and share in the hard to engage around the world, and our negotiators kept inclusivity ownership and management of resource companies, and with and accommodation top of mind. 28612 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders There seems to be a belief that a member of Parliament cannot I have also never gotten over the feeling of gratitude I have for the speak up or deviate from the party. I can think of some occasions residents of Oakville for entrusting this responsibility to me. when I deviated. When the Minister of Finance brought in tax reforms that were not popular at home, I told him that I, no doubt, I am proud of what our government has accomplished over this would be very engaged in serious public consultations. Over that term. From renegotiating NAFTA, to supporting middle class summer, and as a result of expert advice, we submitted 10 solutions, families, to fighting climate change, to lifting 825,000 Canadians of which eight were accepted by the minister. out of poverty and stimulating the creation of over one million new When it comes to transitioning away from open net pen fish farms jobs, the government is making real and positive change in the lives on the coast of British Columbia, I voted against our government. of Canadians. Everyone knows that, and my work to transition to closed containment will be ongoing. I entered this role with a focused set of priorities. I want to reflect on those briefly tonight, but I also want to talk about the unexpected I respect the leadership of the Prime Minister. In my experience, things that have happened to me over the past years that have he encourages differing views, especially when offered in the spirit enriched my understanding of my community and, surprisingly, of of compromise and a better way. my family. It will not surprise members to know that I am deeply disturbed by the stultifying and soul-destroying House of Commons rules that When I was elected, at the top of my list was working to protect stipulate that the House sit on Fridays every week, or until midnight, the Canadian health system. It was an honour to be asked by the or all night long. This is not democratic. This is not even humane. Prime Minister to serve as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister We should all be here in the House of Commons as our best selves, of Health and to speak on her behalf with Canadians and in the energized, not sleep-deprived; optimistic, not frustrated. House of Commons. I was delighted to be part of the Standing Committee on Health. We issued numerous reports and recommen- Finally, no MPs can give their very best without a great staff team. dations on issues affecting the health of Canadians. Stephanie, Deanna, Marjan, Lucie, Natasha, Rav, Diana, Alexandre and Morgan, and in global affairs, Jillian, Joshua, Jim, Kyna, Sher and Isabella, have all worked as an incredible team. Gruelling Another big priority for me was my concern that coverage of schedules, mountains of material, stressful conditions and multiple essential medicines is not part of our universal health care model. demands on their time somehow brought them together. I admire all Canadians should not be denied access to essential medicines of them. I thank them for the standard they have set for all we do. because they cannot afford them. I was part of the standing committee that issued a clear recommendation that universal, single- As with most MPs, we have also been very pleased to support four payer coverage is critical to ensuring that all Canadians have equal interns over four summers, Marjan, Clio, Claire and Nicola. We access to essential drug therapy. I was overjoyed to see provisions in throw them in the deep end and encourage them with every new the 2018 budget to appoint a council to study the implementation of ripple that comes along. May the four of them go on in their lives to national pharmacare and to see provisions in the 2019 budget to ask: Who have I not included? What am I not seeing? Am I create a Canadian drug agency and to take steps toward the accommodating? Am I bringing a solution? If they do that, then development of a national formulary. Canada is in good hands, and they, and I, and those who hold the public trust in their daily work, will have been worthy of the office I was honoured to chair the all-party health research caucus, which and the honour. worked with Research Canada to profile in Ottawa the amazing My heartfelt thanks to the people of West Vancouver—Sunshine health research that is happening across Canada. Coast—Sea to Sky Country for the opportunity to serve them and for our opportunity to serve Canada. My personal commitment to them Besides health, I was focused on jobs and ensuring that the will never end. I will see them at home. À bientôt. government was creating the right conditions for success in the ● (1840) advanced manufacturing industry. In Oakville, Ford Canada is the Mr. John Oliver (Oakville, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for largest employer. I was honoured to have chaired the Liberal auto the opportunity to present a retiring statement. caucus and to have fought hard for appropriate funding to stimulate innovation in the sector, including in zero emission vehicles and It has been an honour to represent the residents of the riding of autonomous operations. Oakville and to have served as a member of the 42nd Parliament. I want to begin by thanking the residents of Oakville for this As vice-chair of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, I opportunity. participated in and once led a mission to promote trade between It has been fascinating to be part of our democratic legislative Canada and the EU. process and to have worked beside, and sometimes against, other parliamentarians as we have debated and sought the best path Finally, with the leadership of Andrew Quinn, my executive forward for Canada. I have never gotten over the sense of assistant, I was happy to see our motion, Motion No. 168, protecting responsibility that overcomes members as we walk up to the net neutrality in Canada, receive unanimous support in the House. Parliament building, enter the door and take our seats in the chamber. Hey, Andrew, “Velociraptor.” June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28613

Government Orders These are the things I set out to accomplish when I was elected, yet they do not think of themselves as refugees. They are Canadians and I am happy with those achievements. However, what about the who are hard at work building their families, running businesses, and unexpected experience that I did not anticipate? in my wife's case, being a school board trustee. Here on the Hill, in the House, I have been struck by the integrity of all parliamentarians in representing their ridings and speaking passionately about their beliefs and aspirations for the future of While I have long known my wife's background, it was not until I Canada. Likewise, I have been impressed by the breadth and scope met with refugee families from Syria and elsewhere in the world in of committee work. This activity is invisible to most Canadians, yet I Oakville that I fully realized the hardship and challenges the parents learned that it is at committee where most non-partisan discussions were facing: language barriers; unemployment; separation from are held to amend legislation and make thoughtful recommendations family, loved ones and networks; and learning new cultures. to government. I will miss the collegiality and the give and take with my fellow parliamentarians. I want to say a huge thanks to Barbara and Waldemar Krasowski Some of the most unexpected experiences and learning happened for having the courage to leave their homeland and for persevering in the riding of Oakville. through these challenges to seek a better opportunity for their I was invited as the member of Parliament to tour many children. Through them, I thanks to all the refugee and immigrant businesses. I had no idea of the diversity of manufacturing parents who have known these challenges and shown such incredible enterprises in the riding. Do members know that every time people courage and sacrifice. I hope they all know the successes that my land at the Ottawa airport, it is highly likely that the landing gear that wife's family has enjoyed. drops down and safely puts them on the tarmac was manufactured and assembled in Oakville? Every time a person buys a glazed donut product or fruit-filled product at Tim Hortons anywhere across ln closing, I would like to say thanks and acknowledge the Canada, the glaze and filling came from Oakville. tremendous contributions made by my staff: Fiona Fraser, director of The restoration of the Pickering and Bruce nuclear plants was operations; Andrew Quinn, executive assistant; Nancy Buchan- dependent on parts from Oakville. The raw products for Crisco, Terrell; Valerie Campbell; Hannah Wieler; Lori Weston; and Mala Becel margarine and other famous edible oil products are refined in Sharma. They have provided superb support not only to me but, Oakville. Of course, we also have the Ford assembly plant, which more importantly, to the community we served over these past four assembles over 270,000 vehicles a year and supports a rich years. I could not have done any of this without their tireless work. ecosystem of parts manufacturers. Most have been with me and supported me from the very beginning; way back when I sought the Liberal nomination. I thank each of ● (1845) them so much for their support and steadfastness. I move on now from learnings about the diversity of industry to learnings about the diversity of faith. I also thank the Oakville Federal Liberal Association, under the I am a long-time member of the United Church, and I was capable leadership of Alan Johnston, and the hundreds of volunteers honoured to be invited and warmly welcomed at mosques, the who worked with me during the 2015 campaign. synagogue, the temple, the gurdwara and the many churches of my community. I learned first-hand that although religious observances are different, people are drawn to their houses of worship for the same reasons: to seek a closer relationship with a sacred, holy spirit; Finally, the real burden of a parliamentarian's job falls hardest on to ask for atonement and reconciliation; to be part of a community of our families, those who are closest to us and whom we love the most. faith; and to unite their families in long traditions of religious We are absent from home while in Ottawa and often absent from celebration. family activity and being with family during constituency weeks. I hope every member is blessed with a family as supportive as mine, Then there is Sheridan College, a world-class education facility and I thank my family for its unwavering support. My family right in my backyard, producing Academy Award winners in includes my loving and lovely wife, Joanna Oliver; my fabulous animation and acting as a crucible to develop world-renowned children, Rachel, whom I congratulate on the new job; Alexander, artistic shows like Come From Away. What an amazing opportunity whom I congratulate on his film; and William, whom I look forward we have as MPs, and what a luxury to be introduced to so many to hanging with; my inspirational mother, Ellice Oliver; and my aspects of our home community and to have those shared with us so sister and brother, Heather and Richard Oliver. Sadly, we lost my openly. I wish everyone had that opportunity. father, Peter Oliver, during this Parliament, but we remember him I mentioned learnings about my family. My wife's family through his long-time friend Annie Chandler. members are refugees. They fled Poland in the early 1980s, when my wife was about 12 years old. They sought refuge in Austria for about six months and then received permanent refuge in Canada. My It has been said that families are the compass that guides us, our wife's younger sister married a Vietnamese gentleman who, along inspiration to reach great heights and our comfort when we falter. with his family, was likewise a refugee, so when I sit down to eat My family is my blessing. I thank each of them from the bottom of supper with my wife's family, I am the only non-refugee at the table, my heart for their ongoing love and encouragement. 28614 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders ● (1850) On my dad's birthday in July 2013, I was invited to meet with the Prime Minister. The PM appointed me Canada's first minister of Hon. K. Kellie Leitch (Simcoe—Grey, CPC): Mr. Speaker, status of women as well as minister of labour. I remember accepting being a Canadian is a privilege almost without equal in the world. To and then immediately formulating in my head how to eliminate the be selected by our fellow Canadians as a representative in the House department. I thought, as a professional woman, how ridiculous it of Commons is as high an honour as there is. Thanks to the was that the department even existed. My sister completely agreed. incredible people of Simcoe—Grey, who put their faith in me, I have When I returned home that night and told my father, to my surprise been a member of Parliament for eight years. First and foremost, I he was ecstatic. He thought this was the best role ever. I thought he want to thank them. was crazy. I grew up in a family where my parents, Lynne and Kit Leitch, lived certain values. My mom emphasized hard work every day. She was the most generous person I have ever known. None of my In retrospect, I will say that being the minister of status of women friends could leave our house without a toque on their head or a hug was one of the more meaningful and most fulfilling roles I have ever if they needed it. Sadly, after a strong fight, she lost her battle with had. I learned so much, and realized that the department is in fact breast cancer in 1989. necessary and important. I have a strong belief that women are most successful in all aspects of their lives if they can be independent, My dad continually challenges us to have free thoughts and when they can stand on their own two feet and make choices for develop new ideas every day. Even now, he challenges me to work themselves and families unencumbered by others and government. harder and be better. Like so many who live and were born on the Our great team at Status of Women focused all its efforts on helping prairies, he believes that everyone is equal and should be treated women of all backgrounds achieve this independence. respectfully. He is the epitome of tolerance.

In many ways, my parents are the embodiment of Canadian values, and these values matter. They are the reason Canada is a I am particularly proud of our focus on championing women beacon of hope around the world for those fleeing persecution or entrepreneurs. Early in my term, I realized that for women to be seeking a better life. The values that Canadians share, that my successful, they needed three things: mentors, money and markets. parents taught us, are what make this country, Canada, the greatest As a young medical student, I benefited from mentors. Therefore, it country in the world, one that it has been an honour to represent. was no surprise to me when I met with women across the country and heard they needed mentors and found it challenging to succeed The one question I get asked all the time as a member of without one. Parliament is why a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon would run for office. There are three reasons.

First, my mom was insistent that public service is good for us. The expert panel on championing and mentorship for women entrepreneurs was launched in 2013. Its work created “It Starts with Second, as a doctor, I would be helping dozens of kids every day. One – Be Her Champion”, an initiative to provide mentors for I loved my job, but in 2006, I was asked to chair the expert panel on women in all fields. As I leave public life, I look forward to the children's fitness tax credit. This opportunity allowed me to see continuing to support and build this program so that young women first-hand how good public policy can have a positive impact on the across our country can reach their greatest potential. health of thousands of Canadian kids, not just one child at a time, as I did as a doctor.

Third, I was asked. It was that simple. Jim Flaherty called me at ● (1855) the clinic one day on a Friday morning and said, “I hear you're running for office.” I said, “No.” We can see how well that worked out. On May 2, 2011, my name was on the ballot in Simcoe—Grey I have always championed children. I am told that my face lights as the Conservative candidate the day the Conservative majority up when a child walks into the room, so it was not challenging for government was won. me to embrace the idea of the International Day of the Girl Child at the UN and become one of the driving forces of its creation in 2013. I was appointed as a parliamentary secretary immediately after This experience is the reason that today I am passionate about the election. As a PS, I was assigned the task to develop a new EI organizations that help eliminate the practice of early, child, and rate mechanism reform in the May budget. I also contributed to the forced marriages around the world, such as Girls Not Brides. creation of the Canada job grant.

As an Albertan, I heard every day from family and friends— especially my sister, who is a no-nonsense, super-smart engineer in When I was growing up in Fort McMurray, Alberta, my father ran Calgary—about the need for skilled labour. I led the consultations a construction company. My talented brother Michael now runs that across the country related to this program, which revolutionized on- firm, and it has never had unionized workers, nor was there ever a the-job training by providing incentives for employers to train desire for our labourers to unionize, so being Minister of Labour in people. Canada was a new place for me. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28615

Government Orders I was determined to have Canada ratify the UN ILO Convention Leadership is about courage and about having the courage to act. No. 138 on minimum age for admission to employment. As a As one politician once accurately outlined, most politicians, with the pediatric surgeon, I was somewhat dumbfounded that Canada had exception of a few with great courage, wait to see how political not ratified this basic convention, which we finally did in 2014. Our events are breaking before they risk their own political capital. I can team at labour also spearheaded changes to the Canada Labour Code say that I now understand that. Even with my challenging experience to ensure that interns were covered by health and safety protections during and following the leadership campaign, I will continue to talk and that these young Canadians received the pay they were due about issues that matter to Canadians, like the ones they talk about when they worked hard. every day at the dinner table and at Tim Hortons. This country and the responsibility we have as Canadians to help others both here and I believe that we as Canadians need to lead internationally by abroad is too important to me not to. example as well as practise what we preach. The changes to these policies did both. ● (1900) Politics is a rough sport. I realized that during the challenging 2015 campaign, and during my leadership campaign I learned that in spades. During the leadership campaign, I learned many things. I now have a better wardrobe and I wear makeup, and sadly, I also I challenge members in the House to not shy away from bold and learned how much these material items matter. How we look is often controversial issues. Do not be afraid of the critics and the media, the as important as, if not more important than, our ideas or intellect, trolls and the angry people. Have courage and move forward. especially as women.

I also learned that not all Canadians are tolerant. It is an honour to serve in this House. I have many friends in this place and I have had many conversations, some more animated than In Canada, as children we are encouraged to have new ideas, talk others. No matter what our beliefs or political backgrounds, we share about those ideas and encourage debate. That is not at all what I a common dedication to this country and to making it better. For that experienced. What most Canadians saw during the campaign was I thank my colleagues. people slandering me and my reputation. They saw me bullied continuously. I was subjected to the worst type of threats online. My home was broken into. My constituency office was compromised with hate banners illegally hung. My staff was intimidated. My I encourage the leaders in this place to remember to take courage Parliament Hill office even received long letters in which people and bring forward bold ideas. Canadians are expecting us to do so. outlined in graphic detail their plans to sadistically rape me. This was all fuelled by people who claimed they were champions Mr. Jim Eglinski (Yellowhead, CPC): Mr. Speaker, as most of of freedom of speech, champions of women and champions of a you know, I will not be running in the upcoming fall election. tolerant society. I can tell members that these people are anything but Tonight I will be saying goodbye to all my colleagues in this House that. I acutely learned that when individuals are unwilling—or, more on all sides. It is hard to say goodbye to fellow workers, to a job or a often, unable—to debate an issue in a tolerant and respectful way, career that you really enjoy. they turn to bullying, intimidation or worse. I would not wish this treatment on anyone, even on those who subjected me to it. Retirement: this is not my first kick at the can. Over 50 years of My campaign sparked debate on issues that Canadians wanted to public service have been very rewarding to me. Am I ending it now? talk about. I am proud to say that unlike some, I am not afraid to I do not really know. I am not sure yet. I was blessed to be born in a tackle the elephant in the room. For me, health care will be one of great country and a prosperous province, Alberta. Life has been good those topics as we go forward. We need an open and healthy debate to me. For me to give back was just natural. in this country about our health care system. Today, politicians get to say when and where we get our care, but they are not accountable to deliver that care in a timely manner. Canadians are ready for a I am a second-generation Ukrainian who grew up on a farm near thoughtful discussion about the future of health care. As elected Chipman, Alberta. After graduation, I joined the RCMP in April of leaders, we need to be ready too. 1968. I took a train and headed to Regina to be a Mountie. I think Canadians have always been the most successful in all fields when most of the farm boys did that back in the 1960s. It was a good we embrace our responsibilities as well-educated and tolerant people choice for me. I served 35 years and had nine postings and five who put forward bold ideas on important subjects. Canadians elected detachment commands. I went from a constable to staff sergeant and us in the House of Commons to be leaders. We are expected to speak finished my career in the city of Fort St. John in B.C. Fort St. John is about issues that matter. We are not supposed to be afraid of tackling a great community in northern British Columbia. the tougher issues, and we should be able to discuss issues like health care, climate change, abortion and immigration without name- calling, without bullying, without resorting to insults or character I met my first wife, Stephanie, in 1968. We had two daughters, assassinations. If we are not prepared to tackle the tough issues in a Kim and Susan. Stephanie was with me throughout my service. I lost respectful manner in this place, then who is? her to cancer a month after I retired. 28616 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders In 2002, municipal politics called me. I was elected to council and province of Alberta, and my country. The friendships we develop three years later re-elected as the mayor. This was a great place to here, from all parties, I will always cherish. learn about politics. I think it is the best politics. In 2004, I married Nancy, my current wife, who has been my strongest constituent, my right arm, my adviser and my critic. She loves politics. She gave me so much: time, love and support.

Nancy and I decided to move from B.C. to Edson, Alberta, in The people Nancy and I met in our riding, the friendships we 2011. I was home again. My stepdaughter, Sommer, her spouse, made, they are such great people. Yellowhead riding is large, 77,000 Brad, and grandchildren Kaylynn, Jenessa, Brayden and Tyler lived square kilometres. As an MP, I could not have represented this great there. They live there today. We built a new home on the McLeod riding if it were not for my staff in Edson. I was lucky that Rob's River, just outside of Edson, to retire. staff stayed on when I was first elected: Jude, Annette and Theresa. Then we met Rob Merrifield, who was the member of Parliament If Jude is listening, she was the nerve centre of the riding, the type of for Yellowhead. The next thing I knew, he asked me to join his EDA. person who knows everyone and everything. She was a great help. I Then I ended up being president. I never could say “no”. I have to thank the staffers who are there today, Annette, Marsha and Sandra, learn that one day. and those who have moved on, Amy, Sylvie and Jude. In the fall of 2014, Rob called me on a Sunday and said, “Jim, put together a special EDA meeting for tomorrow at 6 p.m.” I asked why and he said he could not tell me. He wanted to meet with Nancy and me at 4 p.m. before the meeting. I asked why. He said he could not tell me. Was I confused? I was. As the EDA president, he was telling In Ottawa, I was lucky. I hired Jeannette. What a find and what a me nothing and I had to phone everybody. knowledgeable staffer. She trained me, guided me and kept me in At 4 p.m. the next day, Rob and his wife, Brenda, met with Nancy line, and that was difficult. Her knowledge and wisdom on the Hill is and me and Rob told us he was retiring. When? Immediately. Nancy awesome and I thank her. Through her, I became so much better. I said, “What are we going to do?” Rob replied, “Jim, I think you hired her as an employee, but I consider her a friend. I thank Jamyn, should run. I spoke to Prime Minister Harper and it will be a great a former staffer in my Ottawa office, and Volodymyr, who is there honour for you to serve as the federal MP for Yellowhead”. I said I now, for their service to me and the Yellowhead riding. I thank the could not, and to look at me, I was older. “No,” he said, “You're four Ukrainian interns I had during the summers. great. You have lots of experience.” I asked how long I had to make up my mind. He answered, “Two hours” because he wanted to tell the EDA. Forty-five days later, I was the MP for Yellowhead riding. ● (1905) I was so proud to serve the Yellowhead riding, and I want to thank I thank my Conservative colleagues. I have learned so much from all my supporters in Yellowhead for electing me in 2014 and again in them. It has been an honour to serve with them in the government 2015. What a year it was, with two elections and opening an office in and in opposition. I will always cherish the friendships we Ottawa and an office in Edson. developed. I will miss them, all of them. I remember my first week in Ottawa, when I was walked down the corridor here by Prime Minister Harper, being sworn in. The administration gave me a set of keys and said my office was 301 Justice. I asked where that was and was told, “Down the hill”. I met with finance and was told I could only spend this, could not spend I will miss the Hill, the security people, the drivers, the people in that and to be careful. I was told to hire someone to work in my the cafeteria, the personnel around here. I stop and talk to as many of office. When I asked where I would find someone, they said to look them as I can in a day. I will miss my staff. I will miss my around and that I would find somebody. Then I was told, by the way, constituents. However, I will not miss that weekly flight riding from I was on the immigration committee and it sits on Tuesdays and Ottawa to home and back. Thursdays, so to make sure I was there tomorrow. Then it was, “Goodbye and good luck.” How many of us did that happen to? That was day one. From there we learned as we went. I love challenges, but I have to say, thank God the men's washroom was across the hall from 301 Justice. I have been so lucky that Rob Merrifield asked me to run. I have In politics, time quickly flies. I have flown back and forth about been so lucky that my constituents supported me. I have been so 100 times. I have spent around 800 days on the Hill, approximately lucky to have had a great campaign team. I am so lucky that my 1,000 days in the Yellowhead riding, and 15 hours every weekend, replacement candidate, is a great guy, a friend and, transitioning back and forth between here and there. Will I miss it? hopefully, he can have a good office, at 301 Justice, after the federal You bet. It has been an honour to serve my riding of Yellowhead, my election when he joins our prime minister, . June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28617

Government Orders I could not have done any of this if it were not for my wife Nancy. Gerelt, my wife, joined me half-way through this adventure. I am I know she is listening. I thank “Beebs” for travelling back and forth not sure if it is what she expected, but she has embraced it with across the Yellowhead riding with me, for helping in speeches, enthusiasm. I thank her for her support, love and encouragement. I counselling me, campaigning, etc. She is special. She represented me love her very much. so many times in the riding when I was here in Ottawa, giving speeches and doing all those other things. I was getting worried I thank the voters of Saskatoon—Humboldt and Saskatoon— because people were telling me that they were starting to like her University for the privilege of being their voice. I have tried to serve more than me. Nancy is my soulmate, a friend, and I thank her so them faithfully whether I received their vote or not. I was once told much. the Trost family motto should be, “A Trost is a majority of one”. ● (1910) In my time in the House of Commons, I have striven to stick to People ask me what I am going to do when I retire. There is that the principles that I came here with. While it has been said that word again: retire. I have my health, thank God. My motor home politics is about compromise, I have always believed politics should wants to travel. My motorcycle wants to be ridden. My restoration be about principle. projects are begging to be finished. My grass continues to grow. There are fish in the McLeod River that need to be caught. My deer What are the some of the principles I have stood for during my need to be fed; I have a herd of about 15 of them. years here? However, mostly, I look forward to visiting my three sisters, my Human life matters from conception to natural death. This is a sister-in-law, their husbands and our four children, and spoiling our fundamental right which should never be denied. To take away sweet 11 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter who needs to see me human life as we do in our country is the greatest tragedy of more. Canada's history.

Canada is a great big country and I am about to hit the road, folks. Freedom matters, in our economic system and in our political Yes, I will go back to boring holes in the sky, enjoying the freedom system. A government that is large and all-encompassing is not a of flight. government that is the servant of the people, but is the master of the ● (1915) people. Government aid is often to be feared more than government Mr. Brad Trost (Saskatoon—University, CPC): Mr. Speaker, neglect. first, I want to start with the thanks. Democracy matters: The price previous Canadians paid for our To my staff of over 15 years as a member of Parliament, I have system of government is one that should not be forgotten. Even if we been blessed to have wonderful, loyal staffers. Murray Heinzlmeir, do not agree with everything this system has given us, it is still the Vikki Ruby and Brianne Toupin started with me 15 years ago and are best the world has ever seen. still with the team today. Al Chant put in 13 years. When he retired, I was, in his words, “improving my staff” by hiring his wife Elizabeth. Let me close my brief speech by saying something for Isabel Anu Mattea Merta joined the team these last few years. Denae Ferguson Trost and Helena Esu Trost, my two little girls. Their dad ran for started out doing maternity leaves until her own maternity leave office, not because he thought he could win, but because it was the caused her to move on. I must also remember my Humboldt staff of right thing to do. I believe in my Canada. I believe in the values of previous years, Arlene Jule and Melanie Bain. freedom, faith, family and free enterprise. This is what has made Canada great. I have tried to uphold these values so that some day They have all been very loyal. I appreciate their putting up with they will inherit a Canada that is moral, just and strong, a country the quirks and mannerisms of their boss. To have so many of them that believes in the rule of law and the supremacy of God. stay for so long has meant a lot to me. I thank everyone who has shared this journey with me. I did my I thank Lori Isinger, my first campaign manager, who was and is best to serve. To everything there is a season and a time to every gracious and kind. She helped me put together a team in 2004 that purpose under the heavens. To God be the glory. won a riding that was considered unwinnable. I thank Ron Ardell, a very special friend, and we all miss him. ● (1920) Volunteers like Denise Hounjet-Roth, campaign managers like [Translation] Rod Meier, riding presidents, volunteers, supporters and donors who Ms. Anne Minh-Thu Quach (Salaberry—Suroît, NDP): Mr. are too mention, in all my campaigns supported me. Thanks, my Speaker, I was first elected on May 2, 2011, as part of the famous friends. orange wave. It came as a shock, but it was also an honour and a I thank my leadership campaign team, Russ, Joseph, Mike, Wally privilege to represent the people of my riding and stand up for my and Wayne, for all that we went through together. values in this honourable House. I thank my family. My mom and dad were always there in each I would like to thank the people of Beauharnois—Salaberry for election. I thank my brothers and their families for their support. My giving me that first opportunity to dive into politics and have this service here was definitely a family accomplishment and the wins fabulous, intense, enriching and altogether human life experience. It were theirs as much as they were mine. has been a pleasure to serve them. 28618 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders My first speech in the House was on a topic that was as dear to my hard with my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé and others and labour activist heart then as it is now. On June 24, 2011, Quebec's used pressure tactics against diafiltered milk. Unfortunately, this national holiday, I spoke out against the Canada Post bill. The NDP could come up again because of the treaty negotiation with the stood up to the Conservative government of the day for three days in United States and Mexico. a row so that unionized postal workers could negotiate their working conditions with the Crown corporation executives. That was my first One of my personal victories is the agriculture investment ever three-day Thursday. announced in the last budget. My team came up with the slogan: My second speech was just as emotional and powerful. In at the federal level, we eat locally. For more than six years now, I September 2011 we were debating Bill C-4, a Conservative have been fighting to get a local foods procurement policy. I government bill on boat people. This brought about a two-hour introduced two bills on this and in the March 2019 budget, we conversation with my mother on how my family came to Canada finally see investments to buy local food in schools and to develop after fleeing persecution in the wake of the Vietnam War. She and support distribution channels such as public markets. Through recounted their escape, the attacks by pirates, their fight to survive, the support of many organizations, nearly 3,000 signatures on my their life at the refugee camp, their arrival in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield petition, and emails of support, we were able to put enough pressure and the welcome they received. This is the Canada I know, a Canada on the government to agree to include these measures in its recent that gives a family of refugees the opportunity to prosper and that budget. allows their daughter to become a two-term member of Parliament. ● (1925) As one of the few members of Parliament of Vietnamese origin, I had the opportunity to meet with diverse Vietnamese communities in This is a step in the right direction, but I still dream of seeing a Canada and to work with them to acknowledge how much the buy local policy take shape someday. Vietnamese have contributed to the diverse Québécois and Canadian culture and to fight for human rights in Vietnam, in particular. During my eight years in the NDP, I was mentored by some Lastly, an important aspect of my work has been solving formidable and passionate members of Parliament, colleagues with problems, whether it is a constituent not getting a service they were whom I grew up and with whom I learned to be more self-assured. entitled to or an issue like the Kathryn Spirit, which was a problem Most of all, I laughed a lot in all of our battles here in Parliament. It 114 metres long and weighing 12,300 tonnes. My office has handled takes a healthy dose of humour and self-deprecation to alleviate the over 1,500 constituent cases, problems involving the Canada stress of this frenzied political life. Revenue Agency, old age security or the guaranteed income supplement, and temporary foreign worker files. More and more My first challenge was to discover my riding. It took time and Canadians are calling their MPs for help when they are unable to get effort to understand the challenges of the different regions and also a response through the usual channels. After all the public service to discuss subjects that I knew little or nothing about: the world of cutbacks, that is the unfortunate reality. agriculture ever present in the riding, the business world, which scared me to death, the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne. One major case was the Kathryn Spirit, my region's biggest After the riding boundary was changed, the region of Soulanges headache. This huge wreck had been towed into Lake Saint-Louis in was another area to be studied and understood. I travelled around the 2011 without proper authorization by the company Groupe St-Pierre. RCMs by bike, on foot and by car. I thank the 400 community This was blatant proof that corporate self-regulation does not work. organizations who work hard with limited means. I thank the mayors The wreck was resold to a Mexican company and then abandoned. of the 31 municipalities who are the foundation of our democratic This case also highlighted the limits of the federal government, fabric and without whom nothing works, and the entrepreneurs, which declined to get involved every time, up until the very last whom I found so intimidating at the beginning. I thank them all for second. At the end of the day, the polluter won. The company that giving me material for my speeches, for advising me, often at the last had brought in the vessel ended up with at least $11 million of public minute, when I was drafting my bills, or for turning my attention to money in its pockets. As they said on Infoman, this is like someone the issues they were concerned about. dumping trash in the neighbour's yard and then getting paid to take care of the mess they made. All in all, this incompetence and I thank all the constituents who attended the countless public mismanagement of public funds cost taxpayers $24 million. consultations or sent comments on my work by responding to the Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of Canadians, elected officials monthly mailings. Their contribution was invaluable to democracy and local journalists, this problem is now behind us. and my ability to represent them in House of Commons every day. I hope they will continue to be as active and involved with the next Now, let's talk about struggles and victories in Ottawa. As a young MP. I thank them for placing their trust in me a second time in the woman who has served in the House since 2011, I know what a 2015 election. To me that second election was an acknowledgement challenge it was to get people to take women and young people of my ability to stand up for the interests of the riding. seriously. When it comes to agriculture, I fought tooth and nail with my NDP colleagues to protect supply management in its entirety and In 2014, four NDP female colleagues and I had to fight to have the ensure that dairy farmers received compensation every time they right to bring our children inside Parliament and breastfeed them were sacrificed in the signing of free trade agreements. We worked until the age of 18 months. We won that fight. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28619

Government Orders The next fight was to get a family room in Parliament. We won office, who work behind the scenes and look after us so well every that one too. I would like to thank my colleagues, including Nycole day. I will miss them, but I will see them again. Turmel, the former whip, for fighting alongside us and not only making this room a reality, but also creating better conditions for I will close by thanking my friends, my family and my in-laws for mothers who want to go into politics. supporting me throughout this wonderful adventure. I will be eternally grateful to my love, my beloved, my sidekick, my poet, my I am also proud to have launched the women in the lead event, confidant, Mathieu, who agreed to be a stay-at-home dad for the past which, since 2016, has welcomed 80 to 150 women every year to five years so I could thrive as a woman, an MP and a mother. I want share what they have experienced in decision-making positions and to thank my daughter, Mila, who often had to share me and did not talk about female leadership. There is still a lot of work to do to always understand why, if I was my own boss, I was not staying at attract more women to politics, especially in terms of work-life home to play with her instead of going to work. Mila, I will be home balance. It is hard when we must vote or sit until midnight, like we soon. do at the end of each session. There has been some progress, but we need to keep going. [English] It is also important to highlight my efforts to promote the French Mr. Nathan Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, NDP): Mr. language. I am proud to have debated in French in committee and in Speaker, this is quite an occasion for me, personally, and for my the House of Commons over the past eight years. I am also proud of family. What a rare privilege this is, to stand, at any point, in the having created the Réseau des jeunes parlementaires de la House of Commons, a place I consider sacred in our democracy. It is Francophonie. a privilege, as well, to be able to talk about life in politics. I would be remiss if I did not talk about youth and their passionate This is called a farewell speech. I looked around, and I quite like commitment to a number of issues. It is often said that young people this quote from Steinbeck: are the segment of the population that is the most active and involved Farewell has a sweet sound of reluctance. Good-by is short and final, a word with in the community right now. That is true, and we need to listen to teeth sharp to bite through the string that ties past to the future. them, because they challenge our ways of thinking and doing things. However, our decision-making structures are still lacking in young I like the idea of farewell. The last number of weeks and months voices. That is why I introduced a bill in the House of Commons to have been quite a strange experience for me. It has been a bit like create a commissioner for young persons. being at my own funeral, actually. People come up to me and talk about how they feel about me, good and bad, and I get to hear I also want the government's youth policy to include an action comments that I think we do not share with each other nearly often plan, instead of just paying lip service. I want the Prime Minister's enough. Youth Council to let young people say what is going well and what is not without having to go through the Prime Minister's I had some reluctance about giving this speech. I did not want to communications office. do it at all. My wife, Diana, said, “Don't be stupid”, which is often the advice she has for me. How do I sum up 15 years in politics in a Lastly, I want to talk about the environment, an issue that is of 10-minute speech? How do I, in a 10-minute speech, properly sum vital importance to young people. This issue has no colour. It is not up all of the proper thanks that I have for the many volunteers, the green, red, blue or orange. It really is everyone's responsibility. I staff, the people who support us and make what we do possible? think the work that the NDP did by unveiling its green platform last How can I properly express, in a 10-minute speech, the gratitude I week is very ambitious and worth exploring. feel for the privilege and the opportunity to be a member of I am very proud to have started the first forum on clean energy and Parliament? industry in 2014 with my colleagues from New Westminster— Burnaby, Drummond and Edmonton Strathcona. I can recall my first speech, which, to no surprise of my parents, Margarite and John, I was late to. I was rushing to the House. I was a In closing, I am honoured to have served as the member for new MP and was told that my staff would write my speech, and then Beauharnois—Salaberry and Salaberry—Suroît for eight years. I am I would read it. I bolted into the House, and as soon as my backside going to get very emotional when I leave this place in a few weeks. I touched the seat, the Speaker said, “The member for Skeena— could never have done this work without the invaluable help of the Bulkley Valley”. I popped up and started to read the text that had dedicated assistants I have had the pleasure and privilege of working been prepared over many diligent hours by my staff, Jerry. Within with over the past eight years. the first paragraph, I was bored out of my mind. I thought that if I was bored, it was very unlikely that anybody else would be ● (1930) interested in what I was saying, so I turned the page over, and I just I want to thank my current staff, Edith Gariépy, Glen Cyr, Amélie spoke as best as I could. Leduc, Jean-Marc Fagelson and Katherine Massam. It was a bit intimidating, because in the front row, at the time, was I also want to thank everyone who has worked for me over the Ed Broadbent, who had come back to politics. He turned around in past eight years, including the assistants, volunteers and interns who his seat to watch. I thought that if I could get through this trial by made my work look good every day, in good times and bad. I also fire, with the steely eyes of Ed Broadbent looking at me, then I want to thank the teams in the House leader's office and the whip's would do okay. 28620 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders I know I have been here quite a while now. I knew this as I was a beautiful night, and the chiefs are all milling about outside in their walking through the city just last year and saw construction projects beautiful regalia with amazing masks. One of the chiefs came to me that had been started and completed during my tenure as a member and said, “Walk in with us”, and I said, “This is not my place. This is of Parliament, government projects. It was shocking. I do not want your hall. This is your place. I am just an observer.” He said, “We've anyone to look back, but it has been so long I actually had a full head talked about it, and you're walking with us.” of hair when I got here. I will ask that no one google that. I thought of how to try to put this all together in my mind. A favourite quote of mine is from the great writer Thomas King, who As I came into the hall for Hobiyee, the first three rows on either said, “The truth about stories is, that's all we are.” I firmly believe side were filled with women singing, and they sing into the middle, this. I think we are all stories. We all have our past. We all have our where the chiefs walk in. Outside of them are the drummers. The memories, our family, our connection to this place. Nisga’a have a tradition of turning a bent wood box drum on its My story of getting into politics was a most improbable one. I was corner, and big Nisga’a dudes pound away in a heartbeat rhythm. I walked in with the chiefs. It is a very slow procession, and they sing a working-class kid growing up with a single mom in Toronto, a to their leadership. They call their leadership forward and hold them cashier at a Dominion food store, with no political inclinations in our family whatsoever, and I ended up in the northwest of British up to represent them. I thought about what we needed to learn from that as parliamentarians, as people who purport to lead and speak on Columbia through a very strange series of fortunate events. behalf of others. I was asked by a good friend, Bill Goodacre, to consider running. I think many of us have this story, of a friend saying, “You should run.” I said the appropriate thing to Bill: “You're crazy. That is a terrible idea.” He was quite skilled at convincing me that this might I have been so blessed. We are a family, and there are many be a good idea. families that inform our politics. My political family is here, and in my riding in Skeena, executive and volunteers, far too many to I believe politics, at its best, is a vocation. It should be a calling, name: Jennifer Davies, Rob Goffinet, Len and Irene, and Pat Moss. not a job. It is not something people show up to. It is something that We all have dedicated Canadians who care and inform us. My people are called to do, to serve that calling as best they can. political family was also Jack, whom I miss to this day. My goals in coming to Parliament 15 years ago were quite modest. I wanted to leave with my health; I wanted to leave with my family; and I wanted to leave with the integrity I came with intact. We also have our parliamentary family, and that is not often ● (1935) spoken of. We, as colleagues, struggle with one another and disagree, but we also meet in this sacred place, and sometimes, not Now, those might seem like modest goals, but they are actually often enough maybe, we find common ground as we seek to make not that modest, as I learned, because this can be a brutal place. It this country a better place. can be hard on families. It can be hard on relationships. It can be hard on us as individuals, and we do not often talk about the strains of being away, the mental health struggles many of us have and do not talk about, maybe increasingly so now. Then I have my actual family, who are here: Diana and my However, I am proud to represent a place like Skeena—Bulkley beautiful boys, Isaac and Elliot. We have some plans. We have some Valley. Those who have not been there should go, because it is a time together, which I so look forward to. magnificent part of the world. It is vast. It is beautiful. It is breathtaking. It is the very best of our country, and even better still are the people who live there. We have an expression up north: “The We join together in the northwest to defend what we believe we people don't make the land. The land makes the people.” We are must defend. We try to reach out across traditional political lines of informed by that place, and I am proud of the work we have done. interest and groups of interest to support one another and defend In this strange life, I have had opportunities to meet great, what is sacred to us, which is the land and the rivers that feed us, the powerful men and women, such as presidents, kings and queens. very world that enriches us. For 15 years, the folks in the northwest They are all impressive in their own way, but the most impressive have decided to put me forward as their voice, and no more of a people to me have been the leaders I have been fortunate enough to humbling experience have I ever had. encounter in the northwest of British Columbia: local mayors, local community activists and indigenous leaders, who have let me into their hearts and their worlds to express what their vocation is. I believe we are actors passing across the stage. We all have our A number of years ago, I was attending a Nisga’a celebration moment here, and we can lose perspective as we pass across this called Hobiyee. It is a beautiful, ancient celebration. It is the coming stage, yet others will pass behind us. May we, in all of our efforts, back of the salmon and the eulachon to the northwest. The ceremony seek to not only leave Parliament a better place, but leave this goes on all night, and the chiefs at one point come into the hall. country a better place. For sure, I have been left better by this Members have to imagine a community hall in northwestern B.C. on experience. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28621

Government Orders ● (1940) Samuel and Émilie. I learned a lot from them. People from other [Translation] ridings that I will not name regularly call us to get the help they could not get anywhere else, because they heard about the work that Ms. Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (Hochelaga, NDP): Mr. Speaker, we were doing. on May 2, 2011, I was granted the tremendous honour of being elected to represent Hochelaga. I was the first woman and the first I owe a debt of gratitude to all of my colleagues. Thank you. It is New Democrat to represent that riding federally. The class of 2011 because of their help that a homeless shelter was able to reopen, that had to learn fast. Less than a month after we got here, the Jessica got the federal funding she needed to help her take care of her government was forcing Canada Post employees back to work. children who have disabilities, and that Enet and her two young During what Tom Mulcair called the week of four Thursdays, children were able to stay in Canada and escape the threats of when NDP members fought for workers' rights day and night for 58 Mexican cartels. Every year, my colleagues also helped plan the hours, the government misled the public by saying the strike was CAP St-Barnabé share store, which I believe is the largest share store hurting small business, when it was really the employer that had on the island of Montreal and helps feed hundreds of local families locked employees out and had only to let them back in. In addition to in need. forcing people back to work, the government also forced workers to accept a wage increase that was well below what the employer had With the help of some generous volunteers, including those from offered. When it comes to interfering in the business of Crown the NDP riding association in Hochelaga and some ingenious corporations, the Conservatives cannot be beat. interns, my office has held many celebrations this year for new Canadian citizens to make them feel welcome and appreciated. We My first speech in the House focused on the reason I had recently give everyone a certificate and take nice family portraits. They love become involved in politics. I wanted to protect Canadians' rights this activity. Another very popular event is our lively annual brunch, and make their lives easier. I worked on that speech all night, but I where we get together and chew the fat. People talk about what their was proud to be part of the NDP team on that day, June 24, even local MP can do for them and get a chance to meet their neighbours. though it meant I would miss my first national holiday as the MP for The next one is scheduled for Saturday, and, like every year, we are my riding. On that day, the NDP proved beyond a shadow of a doubt expecting a full house. that it stands up for workers and gives Canadians a voice. I remember asking someone to sign a petition and hearing that it We are also working on problems caused by gentrification and the was the first time she felt that what she had to say was important and opioid crisis. As you can see, we are always hard at work in that she was being listened to. Listening to the public is supposed to Hochelaga. be our job. I wanted to give the people a voice, a voice that would be ● (1945) heard by the Minister of Transport, so I agreed to sponsor a petition and take other steps to show that citizens are opposed to the I have learned a million things, and I have been very blessed in proposed location of an overpass for trucks between the highway and this job. I got to speak before the Council of Europe, through the the Port of Montreal in Hochelaga. Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association. I also visited every As my colleagues know very well, housing is a hobby horse of Canadian province. mine. My nationwide tour and my lengthy discussions with housing advocacy groups clearly showed me that the cuts and lack of I was NDP whip for three and a half years, and I had the ambitious investments by successive Liberal and Conservative opportunity to work with Rob, Anthony, Christian, Chuck, Theresa, governments are responsible for the current crisis. That is why I Wassim and Audrey. These people are so generous and compassio- fought for years, using bills, motions, questions and statements, for nate, and they are an endless source of information. With the help of the right to housing, the renewal of social housing agreements, an them, some of my colleagues and the Speaker of the House of overall housing strategy and a targeted strategy for indigenous Commons, I was able to make Parliament more accommodating for housing. young families, and I am very proud of that. In order to properly represent Quebec's vision, I repeatedly told I must admit that we are spoiled in the House of Commons. The the minister responsible for housing that it was important to maintain staff treats us like royalty, which makes our job much easier and a general and community-based homelessness partnering strategy. much more pleasant. I thank them for that. Unfortunately, the Conservatives do not believe that housing is a right, and when the Liberals finally came up with a housing strategy, I want to apologize to my friends, and above all to my family and they did not have the guts to make the budget choices that would in-laws, for all of the events that I have missed. To my father Gilles, have ensured its success. my mother Solange, Jacques, Elena, Michel, Karina, Claude, Sylvie, Guy, Manon, Lynda, Richard, Peggy and Marnie, I love you. In Hochelaga, an elected official who is not present in the community, who does not do his or her job, and who is not in touch [English] with the people will soon be a former elected official. There have been many dedicated, loyal assistants who have helped build an Without the support and love of my husband Doug, my sons Alec excellent reputation for the NDP team in my riding over the years. and Nicholas and their partners Lauren and Anne, I simply would They are François, Catheryn, Maxime, Chantal, Patrick, Philippe, not be here. They believed in me, gave me self-confidence and Olivia, Éric, Julien, Ariane, Anne, Alexandre, Niall, Sandrine, pampered me. Did I ever tell them I love them? Only a million times. 28622 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders ● (1950) I was first elected in November 2000. I stood in the House, on February 1, 2001, to deliver my maiden speech, in which I said: [Translation] I thank all the people of Crowfoot for bestowing their faith in me. I promise to I urge the people of Canada to bring all these terrific NDP respectfully and truthfully represent their views and concerns here. I pledge to work members, and more, back to Ottawa in October. They are here for hard, with the same diligence that the majority of the people of Crowfoot their constituents, not for themselves. Working to make the world a demonstrate daily as they go about their occupations and their careers in our predominately rural riding. better place is in their DNA. I know them well, for they have become my good friends over the years. Canadians can put their trust in I have worked hard to keep my word. I firmly believe that is why them. I was returned to Parliament in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2015.

I thank the people of Hochelaga for being so warm, imaginative The people of my riding are important. However, it has been my and genuine. They gave me the honour of allowing me to represent faith in Jesus Christ and the hope he offers the world. That has been them, and they have been so delightful. I just hope I was able to help at the heart of my keeping my word, staying principled, serving with them in some way. humility and respect and working hard every day to earn the trust of my constituents. I will be 64 in October, so I have decided to retire. There are so many things I have not yet had time to do. When I thought about writing this speech, I thought I better go to Before becoming a member of Parliament, I was an archaeologist Wikipedia to see what it said about me. It sounds a little selfish and and guide at a museum. I worked in the labour movement, but I had vain, but I just want to mention some of the things Wikipedia views never been involved in politics. My uncle, Marcel Pelletier, was a as accomplishments. clerk in the House of Commons for many years. My ancestor, It says I represent “a riding that is very conservative even by the Charles Alphonse Pantaléon Pelletier, served as an MNA, an MP, a standards of rural Alberta.” Well, as my staff has reminded me, a senator, speaker of the Senate—no one is perfect—and lieutenant three-legged dog could win in Crowfoot as long as it is a governor of Quebec. Perhaps Anne-Marie Aubert and Jack Layton Conservative. It also says, “most of his territory has been held by sensed something, and my political career was foreordained. a centre-right MP without interruption since 1935.” I love Crowfoot. [English] It goes on: Hon. Kevin Sorenson (Battle River—Crowfoot, CPC): Mr. He has won the riding by some of the largest margins ever recorded in Canadian Speaker, I rise this evening to deliver my farewell speech in the politics. He was first elected in 2000, taking 70.5 percent of the vote, and since then has never dropped below 80 percent of the vote. In January 2006, he was re-elected House of Commons, a place that I have been honoured to be in for with 82.5 per cent of the popular vote, the highest total recorded by a Conservative 19 years, close to two decades. candidate in that election.

Although there are a number of friends and family here tonight, Wikipedia also notes that I chaired the Standing Committee on one person is not here who I wish was. It is my seatmate, the Foreign Affairs, the Standing Committee on Public Safety and member for Langley—Aldergrove, who is in a hospital tonight in National Security and the Special Committee on the Canadian Langley. If he is watching or listening, our prayers are with him Mission in Afghanistan while the Conservatives were in govern- tonight, not just those from me and my family but those from our ment. In opposition, I have received a remarkable amount of entire caucus. enjoyment out of chairing the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. I also have another very close friend, Dale Markwart, who is lying on a bed in a hospital in Castor, Alberta tonight. He is in a tough These opportunities, as well as being the public safety critic while battle. Dale is a close friend and he means a lot to us all. in opposition, have given me such an appreciation for the institutions and traditions that have shaped this place and such respect for the After six elections, 19 great years and various positions in the many and varied stakeholders who come to us to plead their cases for official opposition and the government, it is now time for me to change, accountability and principled policy that makes a difference spend more time with my family, which had so selflessly and in the everyday lives of average Canadians. stoically stood by my side through this long and demanding journey. It is time for me to return to the farm and dedicate more time to those ● (1955) who mean the most to me: my family, those in my community of Killam, Alberta and those in the county of Flagstaff. Being appointed to these positions as a member of Parliament has been the greatest distinction in my working career. All of it is thanks However, I do so with a very heavy heart, as I have so much to the tremendous support of the amazing constituents of Battle enjoyed the privilege of being not only a member of Parliament, but River—Crowfoot, the many volunteers on my election campaigns a member of Parliament for the riding of Crowfoot, which later had and the dedication and the sage advice of my board of directors and its name changed to Battle River-Crowfoot. executives. I cannot thank the good people of my riding enough for their I want to mention some of my campaign managers: Norman and support. For 19 years, they were my boss. Every day I have received Marian Steinwand, Bill and Judy Wilson, and for the last five letters, emails, telephone calls and face-to-face words of encourage- elections, Steven Snider, as well as my president, Martin West. There ment and prayers that mean more to me than they will ever know. are so many people I could thank. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28623

Government Orders I thank my current and former staff for their outstanding work and First of all, more than anyone, I will miss my good friend and support in running my Ottawa and constituency offices: Leslie roommate for 19 years, the member of Parliament for Cypress Hills Olson; Gail Nordstrom; John Howard, who passed away while he —Grasslands. David and his wife, Sheila, have become lifetime was employed in the office; Emily Gilroy; Kirsty Skinstead-Lutz; friends. Thank you for all the late-night chats as we ate pizza and Amy Jackson; ; Jeannie Smith; Linda McKay; Nancy popcorn, solving all the problems of Canada and the world, Stewart, Dan Wallace; Melissa Johnston; and Paula Wilkie. Without sometimes frustrated with political correctness. Today is his them and their tireless efforts and loyalty, we could not have anniversary and he has been together with Sheila a little longer provided the first-class assistance that my constituents so richly than he has been with me. deserve and have received. ● (2000) I am equally indebted to my former ministerial staff led by chief of staff, Bram Sapers, who also professionally helped me navigate cabinet committees, memoranda to cabinet, departmental briefings To my parents, Ralph and Jean Sorenson, and my in-laws Ben and and the onerous and exhausting budget preparations. Alice Redekop, I thank them for their prayers and support. They have meant so very much to me and to my wife Darlene. My father, I have had the privilege of serving under amazing leaders. Preston who watches most question periods with my mom, is now 93 years Manning was the one who got me excited about politics and old and I am not hearing anymore, “Dad, it's time to get a life.” interested in making a change in this country. Stockwell Day showed confidence in me after one year by appointing me as the public To my wife Darlene, and our children Ryan, Kristen and her safety, or solicitor general in those days, shadow minister. husband Matthew, and now my grandson Kayden, words are not I also need to thank our former prime minister, the right hon. enough to express the deep appreciation and love I have for them all. Stephen Harper for the faith that he placed in me as the minister of I am so proud of each one of them. Darlene has been my partner, my state for finance, a position I served to the very best of my ability. I sounding board, the anchor that has kept our family grounded and so am so proud to have called the hon. Stephen Harper my Prime much more. She has given speeches on my behalf, has campaigned Minister, my leader and more importantly, my friend. and has always been there beside me. I love her more now than I have ever loved her. He led his caucus and this country with unparalleled wisdom, humility and, yes, the tough veneer that is so necessary as a Once again, and in conclusion, I thank the people of Battle River respected world leader of his calibre. I was proud to stand by his side —Crowfoot for bestowing their faith in me. They are truly the best and give him unconditional support as we negotiated trade constituents in all of Canada. I will miss this place. I will miss this agreements, steered through the recession and balanced successive job. It has been an honour to serve the people of Battle River— budgets to ensure the future of this country and that of our children Crowfoot. and grandchildren. Serving in his government was the highlight of my political career. Finally, to my colleagues here this evening, I thank them for Likewise, it is an honour to serve with our current leader, Andrew indulging me. I thank them for helping me along the journey of Scheer. I campaigned for him in 2004. We saw him as the Speaker of being a member of Parliament. I thank them for allowing me a few the House and hopefully as our next Prime Minister. moments tonight to reflect and to give thanks. I want to give God praise. God bless everyone here tonight, and may God continue to For many of my colleagues and I there were some negatives. We bless this great land that is the greatest country in the world: Canada. will always remember the terrible day on October 22, 2014, when we feared for our lives and the life of our Prime Minister, as shots were Mr. Dave Van Kesteren (Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC): fired just outside our caucus room doors. Corporal Nathan Cirillo Mr. Speaker, I was born in Chatham, Ontario, in 1955 and have lived had already been fatally shot a the Canadian National War Memorial there all my life. I attended school in Chatham, was married in before his killer made his way up here to Parliament and into Centre Chatham, raised a family in Chatham and started my business in Block. Shots were fired. People were hit. All parties were in the Chatham. Chatham has always been my home. I have always been midst of their caucus meetings. It was a long and scary day that is proud to live in the city that was once the site of the battle that forever embedded in one of the darkest memories that I have of claimed the life of the great Chief Tecumseh in 1813 in the War of Parliament. 1812, that was the end of the Underground Railroad, and the city where John Brown came to recruit combatants before his fateful The other was 9/11. I remember my nine-year-old daughter attack at Harper's Ferry. It is also the hometown of the great Baseball running onto the deck and telling me that a plane had hit a building. Hall of Fame inductee, Fergie Jenkins. Less than a year after being elected and six months after being made public safety critic for the official opposition, I was tasked with responding to the ministerial statement calling on the Liberal I had no formal training for the job, but I always had a unique government for anti-terrorism legislation. fascination for politics. Therefore, finally at the age of 49 after narrowly losing my first election in 2004, I found myself elected to Those dark days are all but washed away by the many fond represent the people of Chatham-Kent—Essex on the eve of January memories I have of Parliament Hill and the friendships I have 23, 2006. I am so privileged tonight to rise to give my final remarks forged. There are so many that I need to thank. in the House of Commons after serving here for over 13 years. 28624 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders Let me first thank the constituents of Chatham-Kent—Leaming- ● (2005) ton, as it is now known, for giving me this opportunity to serve them. It is an honour to have been chosen to represent them. Of course, this Now let me talk about my family. would not have been possible without the help of hundreds of volunteers manning phones, pounding signs, door-knocking and My wife Faye and I are blessed with eight children and their donating both their time and money during the past five writ periods. spouses—Jeremy and Jolene, Rachael and Justin, Mike and Angela, David and Katie, Joel and Shawna, Andrea and John, Adam and After I was elected, I would never have been able to serve without Mel, and Eric and Katie—and 39 grandchildren. the excellent staff who worked alongside of me. Let me speak about them. I only have 10 minutes, so I will not name them. Jill Watts-Declare joined me shortly after I arrived here in Ottawa They were all there, helping and supporting me at every election, in 2006. As a new member of Parliament, I had a lot to learn. She pounding signs, going door to door, making calls. With this devoted provided the office with stable and knowledgeable expertise on how army, it is no wonder I have had success these past four elections. to navigate my way around Parliament Hill. She has faithfully served Thank you, and we do love you. in her role as an experienced office manager and has mentored several other staff members throughout her years here. She is greatly To Jeremy and Jolene, who under their leadership, and with David appreciated for all her service. I thank Jill for all her hard work. and Joel, grew a mom-and-pop dealership and faithfully built it into one of the finest Hyundai dealerships in the country, thank you for Peter Roos was my first campaign manager, but also a loyal your sacrifice. friend and confidante from the beginning. Peter joined the office team in 2010, and finally decided to hang them up just before his My wife Faye has travelled beside me these 44 years on some 80th birthday last year. That has not stopped him from continuing to crazy paths, and yet has continued to support me, encourage me, run passport clinics and he still comes in to help when we are short- advise me and keep me grounded throughout the trip. She is the one staffed. I thank Peter. who has kept the home fires burning, tending to our children and grandchildren over all the years I was away. She is the unsung hero Another one of my friends and confidantes is George Paiciovich. I who helped make all of this possible. Many times I have advised know George is listening. He is one of those political hacks we find those seeking political office that unless they have the full support of around our circles, having been around Parliament since the 1970s. their spouse, they had better not consider this job. Faye, I love you He served under several MPs and was the chief of staff to Garth and I thank you for your support. Turner in the days of the debt clock; that was his brainchild. Early after my election, he offered me advice and guidance and then joined I thank the office staff here in Ottawa who delivered the services the team responsible for training our younger members and serving that help make this great country work. I thank the many volunteers the riding with business, municipal needs and special projects. I who make the passport clinics and other such events such a success. thank George for his friendship and his tutoring throughout these I thank my friends and family and supporters who have helped me years. through these years.

I could not forget Nate Veltkamp and Adam Roffle, who served as Lastly, I thank my God for giving me this opportunity to serve my special assistants. I thank them for their dedication and great Him as a member of Parliament for my country. I thank God for work. They have each moved on to greater challenges and continue holding me and keeping me these years. I thank God for sustaining to serve in the community. Presently, this position is being carried my health when working the long hours and for protecting me on the out by Will Pennell, who is now in George's boot camp. road each week as I drove back and forth. My Chatham office was served from day one by Julian Belanger, I know I must have forgotten to thank someone, but they should who also ran against me for the Conservative nomination. We all be sure to know that they are greatly appreciated. I am truly a blessed remember his professionalism and his political savvy, which were so and fortunate man, and I owe it all to the goodness of others. important to me in those early days. Sadly, Julian was taken from us in 2014. We all miss him terribly. Now let me spend a little time on some of my experiences here in Wayne Hasson has filled this vacancy, and also served as my Ottawa. campaign manager in the 2015 election. He is doing a tremendous This job has allowed me to travel to all parts of the world to meet job in the Chatham office, managing the constituency casework, and with leaders and experts in many countries. I have witnessed the I thank Wayne. vibrant economy of Asia, honoured our soldiers in Europe, Peter Bondy and Lisa Mitchell were also important leaders who witnessed democracy at work in South America, encouraged peace served in the constituency and who helped me shape the office in in the Middle East, and saw extreme poverty but also hope in Africa. those early years. I say thanks to Peter and Lisa. I have served on many parliamentary committees—ethics, fish- Of course there is my EDA: Dale, Eldon, Bernice, Mike, Gary and eries, industry, finance, foreign affairs, international trade, status of so many more. They were all there right from the very beginning and women, and health, and currently I serve as vice-chair on the Library are still there today. I thank them for their loyalty and their hard of Parliament committee. Last but not least, I remember all the years work. as chair of the Ontario regional caucus. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28625

Government Orders I have shared these experiences with some extraordinary men and are visceral when it comes to owning our property. As I looked at the women. I want to talk about Steven Fletcher. Steven is a quadriplegic world around me, I could see that there were forces out there that who overcame tremendous obstacles after an accident. He told me were basically threatening my way of life and the way of life of all that he even had to relearn how to breathe. Although he does not other property owners, and I do not just mean farmers; I mean people experience sleep, he still arrived each day to serve as a member of who have built something with their lives and how important that is Parliament and even achieved cabinet in the Conservative govern- to them. When government gets in the way of that, that is simply ment. evil. People need a free society and the ability to take risks. I have met so many special people here, and many have become What comes with a free society? It is is personal responsibility. I my closest friends. I will not begin to name them, as that would be get a little tired when people talk about crime statistics all the time. I unfair. Their friendship will always remain as we return to our will be quite blunt: It is as if it is my fault when somebody commits a private lives. crime. In closing, let me say that this has been a tremendous honour, but it is time to go back home, back to my family, back to Faye, back to Personal responsibility lies within the individual, so as I recite the folks of Chatham-Kent—Leamington, and maybe some here will these characteristics, what political party would someone possibly join me there soon so that Faye and I can give them some join? It's the Conservatives, of course. These are the things that we southwestern Ontario hospitality. stand for. I thank you. May God bless you, and may God bless Canada. I represent a large rural area of 66,000 square kilometres. Dauphin ● (2015) —Swan River—Neepawa is one of the most beautiful places in Mr. Robert Sopuck (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, CPC): Canada. My community is very diverse, with ranchers, farming, Mr. Speaker, I should point out right off the bat that you were one of forestry, hunting, trapping, oil exploration and so on, yet with all that my team members yesterday, and thanks to your efforts, our team resource development, it remains an extraordinarily beautiful place. won. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a pleasure to serve with you on that team. Actually, conservation is one of the major activities of the I had the honour of being elected in this House nine years ago this communities in my constituency. People are harvesting trees in their October. I was elected in 2010 with a minority government; again in day job, and then in the evening working with their fisheries habitat 2011, five months after my first win, with a majority government; group to repair streams. Those are the kinds of people who are in my and then again in 2015. I have experienced being a member of a constituency, and I get very angry when people like that are attacked. minority government, a majority government, and the opposition. I Whether it is the animal rights movement, environmental extremists have had the honour of spending a lot of time in Centre Block. Over or people who want to take their firearms away, I get angry. We are a nine-year career, I have been very fortunate. not supposed to get angry in this job, but I simply could not help it. The injustice of what happened when those good people got attacked Why does a person enter politics? Quite simply, it is to make a made me even more determined to defend that particular way of life. difference. I think we have a number of colleagues here who do exactly the My political transformation from a wet-behind-the-ears, know- same thing. I am very proud to be a colleague of members such as nothing teenager to a budding Conservative actually started in 1968. the member for Red Deer—Lacombe, the member for North We lived in Winnipeg. I am of Czechoslovakian descent, and we Okanagan—Shuswap and the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen were part of a small Czech community in Winnipeg. What happened Sound. in 1968 is the Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia. Our family took in refugees from Czechoslovakia. That gets a person thinking about the power of government and how government can be a force for evil, I have been on the farm of the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen but if a person works hard enough, it can be a force for good. Sound. I would defy any environmentalist to go to his farm and see anything that he is doing wrong. He gently manages the land. He Of course, being a Czech, we are made fun of a lot. I have been looks after it. He looks after the wildlife and cares about the world. called a bouncing Czech, a cancelled Czech, a blank Czech. As long The member for North Okanagan—Shuswap was the president of as I am not a phony Czech, I will be okay. the B.C. Wildlife Federation and the member for Red Deer— Lacombe has a fisheries background just like mine, so Conservatives As the evolution of my political thought moved along, I bought a have absolutely nothing to apologize for in terms of our conservation farm south of Riding Mountain National Park. I had a dream of ethics. becoming a farmer, living off the land, building a log house back in the woods, all that kind of stuff. ● (2020) What went through my mind were the opportunities that this country offers. If people take risks, they can fail, but they can also We are the people who actually get things done. Who negotiated succeed. the acid rain treaty? Brian Mulroney did. Who negotiated the ozone treaty? Brian Mulroney did. When I hear all this environmental stuff, I am a Slavic person, as my mom was born in Poland. Slavic all I know is that Conservatives can be very proud of our people like me have an inordinate fondness for property rights. We contributions to conservation. 28626 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders I did not travel as far as my friend from Chatham-Kent— constituency as big as I do, one knows where all those spots are. I Leamington. I stayed at home and spent all my time on the fisheries will leave it at that. and environment committees, and I very much enjoyed that. We had some very contentious bills to deal with such as Bill C-69, Bill C-68, I thank my Ottawa staff Branden and Alex, who are in the office CEAA 2012 and so on. I have to say, though, that I really enjoyed now, as well as Duncan, Brett, Jay, Dan, Olivier, Kyle, and the my time on the fisheries committee, because believe it or not, it constituency staff Judy, Janell, Megan, Grace, Nellie and Valerie. I worked across party lines. It is a very collegial group, and most of am sorry to go so fast, folks, but I do not have time to stop. the reports were unanimous. I see the chair of the fisheries committee here, and I want to thank him for his efforts on behalf of Canada's I really want to thank the House of Commons staff, the security fisheries. staff and the bus drivers. They are salt-of-the-earth folks. As the member for Battle River—Crowfoot said, I was there in October Getting back to the constituency itself, what can I say about when Parliament Hill was attacked, and we can never forget that constituents? They place their faith in us. Nothing touches me more these people will take a bullet for us. They deserve all of our respect. than when people I do not know comes up to me and says that they voted for me. Is that not something? We have all experienced that, I want to end by thanking my colleagues all around the House. I because we cannot know everybody in our constituencies. made friendships that will last for years. The value of the team is so important. I especially want to thank the Manitoba caucus, the I want to thank my EDAs and the volunteers, of course. The late member for Brandon—Souris, the member for Selkirk—Interlake— Jeff MacDonald was a mentor to me, as was Bob Lepischak. I thank Eastman, the member for Portage—Lisgar and the member for all those people who worked so hard: the fundraisers, the EDA and Provencher for their help and support and indeed love over the years. so on. I too want to talk about what it was like to serve under Prime What can I say about my family and my darling Caroline? I know Minister Harper, who, as history will show, was one of the greatest she is watching—hello, darling. She was my best political adviser. prime ministers this country has ever seen. As I said before, she is a spouse who praised me when it was required and made sure I knew what I was doing wrong when that It has been an honour and a privilege to serve with all members on was required as well. all sides of the House as I end my political journey. ● (2025) Caroline texted me earlier. She was out today planting tomatoes in the garden. She is what we call a “bush chick”, which is a term Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP): Mr. Speaker, that I use with the greatest respect. She lives in the woods and knows I hope I am not getting all this applause because my colleagues are how to do things. glad to see the backside of me. I will have a few jokes about that later. Tony and Marsha are our kids, and their spouses are Lainee and Graham. We have three absolutely beautiful grandchildren, Eden, It has been a very interesting evening. It is fabulous hearing from Senon and Esmee. One of the reasons I will be heading out is to all the members. I am really touched by the speeches of my spend time with the three grandchildren on the farm. They love the colleagues. I thought I would start on a lighter note. farm. They love taking the guts out of a duck, cleaning a fish, driving a quad and doing all those things with papa. I was impressed by my former colleague, Libby Davies, who actually recounted in detail her first day as an elected member of I want to thank my brother and sister, Tim and Joyce, for their Parliament on the Hill. I wondered how she remembered that, and support over the years. I also thank the neighbours. Those who live then I remembered my first moment stepping onto the polished in rural areas know how important neighbours are. When my wife marble floors of Centre Block and almost doing the splits. My sage Caroline is by herself on the farm, I know the neighbours are there advice for all the new female MPs who will come in the next election for her. That is a very important fact. is to make sure that they have rubber soles on their shoes. I want to thank my mom and dad, Joe and Ida Sopuck. They have I am so happy I could serve in Centre Block. I miss those stained sadly passed on. They were both born in eastern Europe, dad in glass windows. Czechoslovakia and mom in Poland. I first want to thank my brother and my niece for being there for I want to thank my mentors. They include Alan Scarth, an me, keeping me fed and my spirits high. The whole world deserves a environmental lawyer from Winnipeg, who is a deeply philosophical brother like mine. I am equally indebted to my wonderful friend man who helped me; Ted Poyser, who was chief of staff to Duff Carol, who never thinks about politics. It is a delight to come home Roblin—and I am going to talk about Duff in a minute; Charlie and talk to her, because we talk about everything else: the tulips Mayer, whom many members know, as he represented part of my being up or a beautiful walk in the forest. That is the kind of friend a area; and the sainted Harry Enns, who was the longest-serving MLA politician needs. I thank Carol, who has kept my house and garden in Manitoba's history. whole. Harry gave me some really political advice. He said, “Robert, my I thank my dear friends Donna and Hans, Frances, Cheryl, boy, there are two things a politician never passes up: a chance to Darlene and Stephen for endless friendship and support, my friends give a speech and a chance to go to the bathroom.” When one has a from across Canada. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28627

Government Orders I extend my deep gratitude to my amazing campaign manager, I thank all the parliamentary officers and staff. I extend a heartfelt Erica Bullwinkle, and my wonderful campaign teams for all four thanks to the parliamentary security officers, who, during the 2014 elections. I notice that not many people have talked about their attack on the Hill, put their lives at serious risk to keep us safe. My campaigns, but that is a big part of who we are. We would not be deepest thanks to all of them. here if we did not campaign. They donated incomparable amounts of time and energy to send me to Ottawa, and what fun we had in those Few Canadians fully comprehend the dual role of members of campaigns. It is so much fun canvassing with youth. For those who Parliament or the limitations on our capacity to tackle every need or have never canvassed with young kids, they should try it out. It will concern constituents bring to us, despite our desire to remedy every change their lives. frustration with a failed service or policy. Among my fondest memories of an election win was dancing in a pub with the visiting Mexican soccer team, excited that a socialist I must attest to the heavy hearts of my staff for our failure to had been elected for Alberta. As with my colleagues, I was the first resolve every immigrant or refugee claim and every request for NDP and the first woman elected in my riding, but I was also the better services or better policies that actually help people. However, first NDP elected in Alberta in 25 years, and then re-elected and re- we have so celebrated those moments of pure joy when our efforts elected again. helped a constituent gain long-awaited citizenship, obtain a federal grant or veterans benefit or win a dispute with CRA. I continue to thank people who say they worked on my campaign, and far too often I have to say thanks, because I did not have a chance to thank them before, because Erica kept me out canvassing I remain surprised and grateful still when a constituent approaches 24 hours a day. me in the street, in airports, in the grocery store or when I am travelling overseas. Those Edmonton—Strathcona constituents are Absolute, profound accolades are sent to the dedicated Edmonton everywhere. They approach me to thank me for my service, and it is Strathcona federal constituency association, which, for 11 years, always unexpected and equally appreciated. It keeps me going, and I helped at every constituency event, serving refreshments, flipping most certainly believe that is the same for all members of Parliament. burgers or sweeping hall floors. These volunteers are the source of democracy in Canada. They are the unsung heroes. They never get volunteer awards, because they are “partisan”. We need to change My 11 years serving as a member of Parliament were diverse and often had unexpected turns. that.

Too often, the unsung heroes of MPs' offices are their staff. I have It has been a privilege serving on the executive of the Canada- been blessed with the most amazing group of dedicated people in my Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, supporting Ukraine Hill office and in my constituency. There are too many, over the 11 through election monitoring and hosting fabulous young Ukrainian years, to list in my Hill office, but I thank Lorena and Michelle. It is interns. so great to finally have an Albertan working with me on the Hill. We need more Albertans here. There were many staff before that. Angela was my first fabulous legislative assistant, and I still consider her a It has been my honour to represent the extraordinary Francophone dear friend. community in my riding.

Currently holding the fort in the riding are Lisa, Melissa and I was privileged as a lawyer to benefit from the support of Nigel. Those who have moved on are Erica, Daniel, Niki, Helen and University of Ottawa law school interns, who were invaluable in Adi, who is now with Amnesty International. I have had so many helping me craft my bills and motions. I encourage every university incredible staff. I kept saying, “Why are you wasting your time here, and every legislature to introduce the same kind of program. Adi? Get out and get a law degree." He graduated from the University of Ottawa law school, organized all the rallies at the American embassy and is now articling with Amnesty International. I participated in many of the climate COPs, inspired greatly by the interventions of NGOs and indigenous peoples. I thank my leaders: Jack Layton; Tom Mulcair; Nicole Turmel; and now the member of Parliament for Burnaby South. Where would I had the honour of meeting with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan we be without our leaders inspiring us? government in exile during the commemoration of their 60 years in ● (2030) exile, and look forward to seeing the president again tomorrow here I thank Rob, Christian, the incorrigible Anthony and Theresa, now in Ottawa. I am blessed with a wonderful Tibetan Canadian intern. at city hall. I know we drove her crazy, but she is in our hearts. I travelled to west Africa with the Governor General and to east To my marvellous caucus colleagues, and I know they are Africa to meet with parliamentarians. laughing because they cannot believe I am saying this about them, but it has been my challenge to try to get them all to think like Albertans. I held a remarkable array of critic portfolios: environment; indigenous affairs; western economic diversification; public works; I like to think that I am also leaving behind a few friends from natural resources; and international development. I do not know if I other parties. am missing any. I had a lot of them. 28628 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders I advocated in the House and at the UN for a nuclear disarmament got to know people who make their living as so-called “binners”, treaty and for enforceable measures for sustainability. people who get money from recycling bottles and cans, which is how they live, all the way to billionaires, because Victoria has both No surprise to those who know me well, I infused an categories. environmental angle into every one of those portfolios. I issued a report on the impact of oil sands on water. I proposed strengthened public and indigenous rights in federal laws on toxins, impact I am really proud of Victoria. I like to brag that it has the lowest assessments, energy regulation, navigable waters, sustainable unemployment rate in Canada but also has the people with the development and trade deals. biggest hearts in Canada. It is a generous, compassionate commu- nity, and I am so proud to live there. It is quite a magic place, In public works, I proposed investments in energy efficiency for because it is both dynamic and gorgeous at the same time. Most federal buildings to save taxpayer dollars. people care deeply about their natural environment and about the well-being of their fellow citizens. In transport, I proposed stronger measures to regulate dangerous rail cargo and engaged communities directly. That came because of my personal experience with a major CN derailment into Wabamun I promised I would thank a number of people, so bear with me. Lake. The government still has not taken action on that. I have four times tabled an environmental bill of rights, and I will First, I want to thank the people in my Victoria office who do the be debating that bill tomorrow for the last time. heavy lifting every day of navigating a sometimes cold and distant federal bureaucracy to help people. I want to start with Alisma Perry, I wish to thank all the environmental community and indigenous Tony Sprackett and Lucy Mears. leadership who allowed me to be one of their voices for change. It has been an honour representing my constituents and having the Next I want to thank the front-line people in my Victoria and privilege of fighting for environmental protection from the inside. Ottawa offices over the years: Edward Pullman, Danielle Dalzell, My retirement agenda is to get a rescue dog. My brother says it is Maura Parte, Andrew Johnson, Krystal Thomson, John Luton, my turn. Tyrone Lehmkuhl, Tabitha Bernard, Charlotte Smoley and Alana Cahill. It is quite a list. ● (2035) Mr. Murray Rankin (Victoria, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I think I should sit down, because the hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona Then I want to thank my Victoria political family: Erik Kaye, has said it all. All I am going to do is footnote what she has already Ellen Godfrey, Samantha Montgomery, Sarah Bergen, Shannon Ash, so ably said in expressing her gratitude to so many people, on all Andrew Cuddy, Breanna Merrigan and especially the very talented sides of the House, the people who work here and make our lives Victoria councillor , who I hope will succeed me as the easier every day. member of Parliament for Victoria in the next election.

Because this may be my last time to speak in the House, I want to Finally, I want to thank my family, my two sons Ben and Mark, say a few things. First, I have to thank a lot of people. Then I want to who I am so very proud of, my remarkably supportive spouse, Linda talk about some of the highs and some of the disappointments, Hannah, who is here with me tonight, and my extended family, before offering some general conclusions. represented tonight by Leslie Hannah and Barry Lassiter, from It has been almost seven years since I was elected, first in a by- Calgary, who have come all the way to be here. election. It was not a particularly auspicious occasion. I just about lost, but I managed to squeak through, and then I happily did better I promised to say a few things I am proud of and then a few the next time, in the 2015 election. disappointments. Let me start with the good stuff. My list of people to thank must start, of course, with the people of Victoria who put their faith in me to represent them. The cliché, One of the most important and meaningful things I had the which has been said more than once this evening, is that it is an pleasure to work on since coming here was to secure pensions for honour to have our fellow citizens go into a polling station and put people who were the victims of thalidomide poisoning. It is an X beside our names, but I am so grateful to the people of Victoria serendipitous how this works in politics. and Saanich and Oak Bay, the nearby communities, who put their faith in me by doing just that. Every day I am mindful of the ● (2040) enormous responsibility that comes from that debt of gratitude. In the very first speech I gave in this place, I used the Nuu-chah- I got a call from a friend who was doing pro bono work for the nulth word eesok, or respect, because I think that has to be crucial in Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada, the indomitable our role as parliamentarians every day. Mercedes Benegbi, who asked, “Can you help us?” I went to Libby Davies, which she talked about in her amazing book, and we went to The experience of being elected as a member of Parliament has Rona Ambrose, the then minister of health. We managed to get every really given me an enormous opportunity to know the amazing single member of Parliament to vote in favour of long overdue community of Victoria, where I live. I got to know people, Mr. pensions for people at the end of their lives suffering from the effects Speaker, and I am sure it is the case for you, from all walks of life. I of thalidomide. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28629

Government Orders Then there was the debate on medical assistance in dying. I had Day. It has to be that we give our future generations a better planet to the good fortune of having a law partner and a dear friend, Joe live on. It is going to take hard work on all sides of this House for Arvay, who went to the Supreme Court of Canada on a case called Canada to do its job. Carter, reversed a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on a case called Rodriguez and established a constitutional right for Canadians By way of conclusion, I am a proud social democrat. I have who were suffering interminable pain to avail themselves of medical Tommy Douglas's picture on my wall. I think he was justly elected assistance in dying. the greatest Canadian for his work in giving us something we now take for granted: medicare. I am hoping that the next Parliament will To me, that was the finest moment in this place, with people complete his work and bring in a comprehensive public pharmacare working across parties. I want to pay particular tribute to the then program for all of Canada. minister of health and the then attorney general, the member for Markham—Stouffville and the member for Vancouver Granville. However, I would be remiss if I did not pay tribute to the member for Let us all recommit to a fairer Canada. Let us reduce the enormous Don Valley West who ably chaired one of the committees. There was and growing inequality between the rich and poor in our society. a Senate committee, a justice committee, and we worked with What J.S. Woodsworth said is still true today: “What we desire for senators like Senator Cowan and Senator Joyal, and my colleague ourselves, we wish for all”. However, Jack Layton still said it best: from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot who was very wise on that committee. “My friends, love is better than anger.... So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.” We ended up, despite our differences, despite profound philoso- phical ethical differences, coming up with something that I think ● (2045) serves Canadians well. I am very proud of the way Parliament worked. To me, that was its finest hour since I came here. More recently, my work as vice-chair on the justice committee The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mr. Anthony Rota): I want to allowed Canadians to understand the revelations of the former take this opportunity to thank all the members who spoke this attorney general in the SNC-Lavalin matter and remind Canadians of evening, sharing their successes and their frustrations, their histories the crucial importance in our democracy of the rule of law. and everything they have gone through since they made it here.

I am also very proud of something that I cannot even talk about, I am going to have to check the rule book to find out what the which is the work I have been doing under the able leadership of the penalty is for bringing tears to the Speaker's eyes because many member for Ottawa South with the National Security and times I was listening and could not help but get emotionally involved Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, which looked at a in the story. special report on the Prime Minister's trip to India. However, much more importantly, it did the first in-depth review of our security and [Translation] intelligence community, which is the work that Canadians do to counter espionage, terrorism and foreign interference, and of course, I thank everyone for their stories and their service. I wish them the to safeguard our freedoms. We spent endless hours on that work, and best of luck in all their endeavours for the rest of their days. I am very proud of that. I am proud of the fact that I was given the honour of being elected *** by my peers as one of the hardest working MPs. I am proud of the public service of Canada with which I have had the opportunity to [English] work over the years. BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION ACT, 2019, NO. 1 On the more frustrating side, I am frustrated by question period; I do not mind saying that. I think a lot of us are. We can do much The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-97, better for Canadians. The tired lines and the bad theatre is wearing a An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in little thin. I know that I do not look forward to it, and I know people Parliament on March 19, 2019 and other measures, be read the third on the other side feel the same way. Surely we can do better. time and passed. I am frustrated, as all of us are, when our private member's bills Mr. (Calgary Shepard, CPC): Mr. Speaker, maybe are not passed. On one I did, I worked with the late federal tax to the chagrin of my Liberal colleagues across the way, this is not my lawyer, Robert McMechan, on tax reform, which did not go through, farewell statement. They will have to put up with me a little longer. I nor did the one I worked on to expunge cannabis convictions, which listened to a lot of the statements made by retiring members and, I still think is the right way to go. However, the government has again, I offer a heartfelt thanks for their service to Canada. brought in a half measure and we will see if that works. I am deeply disappointed with the progress Canadians have made There are some members like the member for Victoria, whom I toward reconciliation with indigenous peoples. appreciated working with on several committees. I know that many of us will miss him. Even though he was a New Democrat, he was I am particularly disappointed in our collective failure to address one we could have a decent argument with and come away still the climate crisis. We have to do better. Today is World Environment friends at the end of the day. 28630 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders There is a Yiddish proverb that says, “If you want to know what 10 to 12 years and we reach a recession. Sometimes they are short God thinks of money, look at the people he gives it to.” That is what recessions; sometimes they are prolonged recessions. I want to start with. I know I have a 20-minute statement on the budget with questions and answers. I am not splitting my time. I do not want to do that, but I want to talk about this Yiddish proverb Again to my Yiddish proverb, if we want to know what God because the government has spent a prodigious amount of money thinks of money, we look at the people he has given it to and look at over the last four years. We know that today's debt is tomorrow's what they have done with it. The Liberals have achieved far too little taxes. for the money that they have spent. The government now has a total debt of $705 billion. If one includes Crown corporation debt, it is over $1 trillion. I know there will be Liberal MPs who will say to look at the previous I want to talk about the housing proposals inside the budget and government, which increased the national debt as well. The some of the housing policies and ideas the government has put counter-argument is that they had the Great Recession in 2008-09. forward. The Liberals are far lacking in both what they should be As I remember it, the Liberal Party members clamoured for more trying to achieve for first-time homebuyers and the damage they spending. They actually wrote a coalition document with the New have done by introducing the B-20 stress test and the Minister of Democrats and the separatist Bloc Québécois, demanding even more Finance's stress test on insured mortgages. It is an issue I have raised spending. The government of the day decided that it would find a in the House repeatedly. I have raised it at the finance committee middle ground and not spend us off a cliff, but that it would do what repeatedly. I had Liberal MPs vote me down twice on a request to do the House of Commons was indicating, which was to spend a study of the B-20 stress test. The first time it was without saying a cyclically into the economy. single word. They did not rebuff my argument on why it should be done. The second time, they did have an argument but it was not Budget 2019, which this bill tends to introduce and make real in very strong. the lives of people, I call it a distraction budget. Last year, I called it the refrigerator budget. There is an extra $41.3 billion of new spending over five years. The campaign promise of the Liberal Party was that there was supposed to be a surplus of $1 billion this year. It In budget 2019, the first chapter of the budget that the BIA would is a $19.8-billion deficit instead, $19.7 billion the year that follows, implement is on housing. I am glad the Liberals have a chapter on $14.8 billion in the year after, and $14.1 billion the year after that. It housing because young first-time homebuyers across my riding is successive years of deficits. deeply care about being able to achieve the dream of home ownership. If we look at the financial statements on the— The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mr. Anthony Rota): I would ask the hon. member for Calgary Shepard to pause for a second. When I lived in Edmonton and purchased my first condo, for my wife and me it was one of the great achievements in our lives that we I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to maybe just check on the had put aside enough money and were able to qualify for a mortgage. outside. There is some clamouring going on. I am sure they are not We got a longer amortization of 35 years. Some people say that there doing it on purpose. It sounds like a very good conversation, but I are now 25-year amortization periods for insured mortgages, but am really not interested in hearing what they have to say. there are still 30 years for the uninsured market, and there is a We will concentrate on what the hon. member for Calgary difference between the two. Shepard has to say. Mr. Tom Kmiec: Mr. Speaker, I am usually the one rising on points of order about too much noise in this new interim chamber, Taxes have gone up. It is harder for people to accumulate savings which is beautiful but not very functional, as I like to remind over time in order to have a down payment. Now we have a members. I have been quoted in the Hill Times as having said that. successive series of government decisions, with policy direction being given to the CMHC, policy direction being given to chartered To return to budget 2019, as I mentioned, successive budgets have banks and lenders on insured mortgages, and the B-20 stress test, an increased spending. I went back to previous years' budget OSFI rule that is given the blessing of the government, that are documents. I went all the way back to budget 2016. I looked at hurting opportunities to get into housing, especially for young budget 2015. There is actually a gap in this year's spending. What people. budget 2015 expected to spend this year was $302.6 billion. Instead, what the government is intent on spending is $329.4 billion, which is a gap of $27 billion between what the government expected to do in 2015 and what it is now expecting to do in 2019. What I want to avoid is a situation where we eliminate an entire generation, a cohort of people, from being able to get into the type of One of the great problems of the current government is its home that suits their needs. That is different for different people at inability and maybe disinterest in controlling spending. Every different times in their lives. When people are younger and starting a solution requires gobs of new spending. Every problem requires family they need a bit more space. When they are getting toward gobs of new spending. Every single year, Canada's GDP growth retirement, they want to downsize so they need to sell their house keeps being revised downward. In the economy, there is a cycle of and move into something smaller that suits their needs. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28631

Government Orders When the government begins to introduce different policies and report, going all the way back to the third quarter of 2013, we saw an legislation, that starts to gum up the workings of the real estate increase in mortgage origination to about the first quarter of 2015, markets. I say “markets”, plural, because there is no such thing as a and then it started to slide downwards. It is proof apparent that this single real estate market in Canada. We do not compare a home in rule did not have to be introduced, because mortgage origination, Vancouver to a home in Calgary, to a home in Halifax, to a home in people taking out new mortgages, was on its way down for well over Ottawa. Those real estate choices are very local. They are things a year before the Minister of Finance introduced his stress test on such as schools, access to public transit or perhaps there is a baseball insured mortgages. diamond near a home as there is near mine so my kids can go and play there. Those are the choices that really matter to people. ● (2050) I have no idea why he would introduce a 2% stress test on insured mortgages, when it is on a fixed term. There was always a stress test The decision the government made with the B-20 stress test has on variable mortgages, because, reasonably put, if the government is heavily impacted the market. I am going to be referencing a TD offering insurance through the CMHC, or through Canada Guaranty Canada report and a CIBC economics report to make my point. or Genworth, two private providers, taxpayers are on the hook, There are defects inside the BIA. There are defects inside the budget because they are backing up that policy. and how the Liberals are trying to address the housing problem for young people, especially for first-time homebuyers.

Approximately 20% to 30% of first-time home buyers have been On variable rates, it makes sense to ensure that the lendee can pushed out of the market by the B-20 stress test. The statistics have actually pay it back in case something happens in the market, such as shown this, whether we use Statistics Canada, CREA, the Canadian the interest rates go up. On a fixed rate, five-year mortgage, there is Real Estate Association, or Build Canada. Build Toronto has shown absolutely no reason to do that. Over a five-year period, on average, there is a 100,000 unit gap in the last 10 years of built dwellings in and Statistics Canada will bear this out, people's incomes go up, their the Toronto area. ability to pay goes up, their circumstances change, but typically it is When the B-20 was introduced, two reasons were given for it. for the better. OSFI said that the reason for introducing these much harsher stress tests, 2% to qualify for a mortgage, was to ensure the stability of the banks. What happened, according to TD, was that by introducing We can look at CIBC Economics, and it is called “Mortgage stress this rule, over the past year, 2018 and now into 2019, it had pushed test: the operation was a success, but” and then it goes into all the lending to the B market, the B lending. That is not to say monoline side effects of having introduced this rule. It is by Benjamin Tal. lenders are bad, they just typically have higher interest rates, they offer different terms, and it is actually a 2% increase. In Toronto, in the GTA area, it is far higher. I have another graphic about which I want to talk. One of the What the government has done is it has moved into the things I heard, and it is in the chapter in the budget, where it talks unregulated market by introducing the B-20 stress test. about housing, is the a worry about affordability. It is also a worry about Canadians taking on too much debt. The second reason was given by the Minister of Finance in January. He said publicly that the reason was to reduce prices. That is not the reason this Parliament allows OSFI to regulate insurance, ● (2055) securitization and lending. The reason for that is the stability of chartered banks and large lenders. OSFI regulations are not supposed to be used to manipulate prices I sit on the Standing Committee on Finance, and I heard this in different real estate markets. That is mission creep. That is policy repeatedly at committee from officials, Liberal members of creep. It is far beyond the scope of what Parliament intended when it Parliament and the CEO of CMHC, whom I will speak more of gave the government the ability to set regulations through this later. They worried that Canadians were taking out mortgages that independent, autonomous regulator. were too big and were taking on too much debt. Chart 5 of the CIBC report notes that in 2012, in the third quarter, just under 50% of I always remind people that regulators are arm's length but within people had an average credit score of 751, which is an excellent arm's reach. That is something I learned when I worked for the credit rating. If a person's credit report says 751 or above, that is finance department in Alberta. They still have to abide by the wishes excellent. of the government and the general direction. The decision-making, the individual regulatory tools they have are truly up to the regulator to decide. However, this one in particular, the B-20, we know from TD Economics that the side effect was that a lot of people were The number has been creeping up as well. Well before B-20, it pushed into mono lenders, B lenders, the unregulated market, which started to creep up to 50%, 51% and then to 52%. It is not that people defeats the purpose of OSFI having introduced it. were being irresponsible. In fact, the average credit score of those seeking a mortgage loan is going up. Nevertheless, the government Ahead of B-20, we know that mortgage origination started to has done nothing for unsecured loans. It is still just as easy to get a soften well before. If we look back, and this is a CIBC economic credit card. 28632 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders Bank of Canada officials came to my office to explain the Bank of this number makes sense is if we look at insurance mortgages and Canada's financial statements. I told them that if I got unsecured loan assume that over the next three years, we will only be able to help and spent $30,000 on a boat, the government would pat me on the about 30,000 to 40,000 people. Actually, the Minister of Finance back for consumer spending. If I then crashed the boat and claimed it said the same thing in Toronto. on my insurance, the government would be extremely happy again because I might replace it with a new boat. That is $60,000 spent. (2100) However, the government is worried about mortgage debt. ● In Canada, because of our culture, people are pretty conservative when it comes to borrowing, especially on their homes, delinquency Then I went to MLS listings online to find what kinds of rates are at historic lows. I think it is 0.15% in British Columbia and properties were out there. In the greater Toronto area, I found about 0.23% in Ontario. Every statistic I can find from the major chartered 500 properties out of 20,000 listings that these shared equity banks and every trend line I see from economic shops show that mortgages could potentially apply to, and I specifically excluded although there was a lending problem, the lending problem was not those with parking spots, which are very expensive in the greater directly related to the mortgages people were taking out; it was Toronto area, especially downtown. They are quite expensive to get, related to unsecured debt, such as credit cards, personal lines of but that is not the goal of this. We do not want anybody living in a credit and home equity lines of credit. parking spot in a tower in downtown Toronto. That is not our goal. In fact, when the government introduced B-20, which is also in a report, there was a sudden spike in reverse mortgages, as people ● (2105) were taking more equity out of their homes. Interestingly, this number has been going up for about 10 to 15 years. It is a tool people Mr. : They are. They're called homeless people. use. Their homes are their savings so they take money out of them. There was a spike in January 2018. As soon as everybody knew the new stress test was coming, the number went up. Mr. Tom Kmiec: I hear the parliamentary secretary saying they are. An interesting report came out of Toronto asking about housing. It asked what young people and their parents were doing. A third of parents admitted that they had given their kids an early inheritance This tool is not the answer to it. gift of, on average, $50,000. This speaks to the problem of pricing in the greater Toronto area and the greater Vancouver area. When I questioned people at Mortgage Professionals Canada how What the government and the Minister of Finance did was impose long it would take the brokerages to get their IT systems ready to go, a one-size-fits-all policy, the B-20 stress test, across the board and because they need IT systems to do their underwriting, securitization, across the country, as though every real estate market in the country double-check loans and all the details that need to be figured out, the has the exact same problems. Instead of introducing variants and said eight to 10 months. That is eight to 10 months on a program the designing a policy tool for specific problems, they went around government wants to be effective in September. whack-a-mole and hit everybody.

I know I have to be careful. I hear the parliamentary secretary got When I asked the Department of Finance officials about the details in trouble with Premier Doug Ford when he called for him to be of the program, the terms and conditions, the fees, if there would be whacked, although I did say “whack-a-mole”. a premium on these shared equity mortgages, they told me they did This is a policy tool. I am not saying people in housing should not not know those details because they had not been decided yet. be worried about what the government is doing in budget 2019, because the government has now given an answer to the problem. Its answer to the problem was to introduce shared equity mortgages. In When I asked the CEO of CMHC, I was told it had not decided the BIA, it is introducing a mechanism by which the CMHC will be yet what those details would be. When I asked when the board of a Crown agent acting on behalf of the government. CMHC was informed that it would be handling the shared equity mortgages on behalf of the Government of Canada, he told me the For those listening at home this late in the evening, who perhaps night of the budget. That means the board of CMHC had no idea it have insomnia, the Crown borrowing program will allow the would be administering this large-scale program. government to borrow $1.25 billion to buy shared equity stakes between 5% and 10%, depending on whether a house is new. A new home gets 10% and one that already exists gets 5%. The government If we want to know what God thinks of money, we should look at says this will help 100,000 first-time homebuyers. the people he has given it to, what they have done with it and how badly they have mismanaged it. With a problem like housing, the When I asked Department of Finance officials where they got this policy tools chosen to address it are completely inadequate. number, they said from CMHC. When I asked CMHC officials where they got this number, they said from the Department of Finance. Nobody could explain to me where this 100,000 number I will not be supporting this bill and I encourage all members not came from. The CEO of CMHC gave it his best shot. The only way to support it. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28633

Government Orders Mr. Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal, Lib.): Madam ● (2110) Speaker, it is always a great pleasure to hear from my friend from Mr. Tom Kmiec: Madam Speaker, the member for Sherbrooke is Calgary Shepard. He is definitely the champion in the House on correct. Yiddish proverbs. However, I also go to the same Yiddish proverb Twitter page that he does in order to get Yiddish proverbs. The one Witnesses at the Standing Committee on Finance said that the right before the one he gave was, a nation's treasure is its scholars. government will be playing the stock market with part of people's homes. We have no details on how this will work or how much it I am so proud that in this budget we are investing in science, will cost. The president and CEO of the CMHC said that this research, innovation, education and scholars across Canada. We are measure would have a marginal impact, while some Liberal investing in space, the lunar exploration accelerator program, the members in committee described it as transformative. They said strategic science fund, the strategic innovation fund and the research that this would change everything. science and innovation fund. We have brought back science, brought back academics and brought back university. Even reports from the CIBC and TD Bank say that the impact on the market would be 0.2% to 0.4%, at most. This is a marginal There is another Yiddish proverb that says investing in people is impact. Furthermore, the government wants to spend $1.25 billion more important than anything. Does my hon. colleague not think that on this project, when it could be doing something else with the many of the investments in this budget have brought Canada back money. This is a big failure for the government in this budget. into the realm of science and space exploration? [English] Mr. Tom Kmiec: Madam Speaker, I do not want to start a Yiddish Mr. (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, proverb battle on the floor of the House of Commons. I do appreciate CPC): Madam Speaker, my colleague does excellent work in this the member because he is thoughtful and an adept chair of place and in the finance committee. I appreciate his drawing committees. He stickhandled the last committee he was assigned attention to the issues with home ownership. This is something that I quite nicely. hear about often in my constituency. However, this is an issue of debt and deficits. While the member is It is an interesting perception that, in some cases, government telling us to look at the wonderful investments the Liberals have policy is aimed at making home ownership harder to access, with made, it is all with borrowed money. Part of a responsible things like the stress test that was piled on. The perception, certainly government is ensuring that it has the means to provide these in my constituency, was that these policies were not taking into investments. It cannot just be looking at borrowing on the markets, consideration the reality of the real estate market in most of the passing the bill to future generations and hoping the investments country, but they were responding only to specific situations in actually work out. specific regions. At the same time, there was another policy brought I met with the Coalition for Canadian Astronomy. It is deeply in that, as the member has pointed out, does not deal with the reality disappointed by these so-called investments the government is in those same places. putting through. The people there want to see more put toward basic It is striking that we have, on the one hand, policies that are aimed research. A lot of what the government is putting the investments at making home ownership harder, and in other cases, policies that toward is engineering work instead of basic scientific research. It is a purportedly make accessing home ownership easier. There is a disappointment. contradiction in the objectives, never mind the policy. If we want to know what God thinks of money, we should look at I wonder if the member can comment on what we should make of the people he has given it to. this incongruity between policies like the stress test, which are [Translation] making home ownership more inaccessible, and claims that other policies are going to make home ownership more accessible. Mr. Pierre-Luc Dusseault (Sherbrooke, NDP): Madam Speaker, I have a question for my colleague about his favourite topic, Mr. Tom Kmiec: Madam Speaker, one of the things we heard mortgages and home ownership. from stakeholders who presented at committee was that 200,000 Canadians will not see a job created because of these changes by He already raised some points that came up in committee about 2021. the new first-time home buyer incentive, which will allow the CMHC to take on 5% to 10% of the mortgages of Canadians We know that the residential construction market is one of the participating in the program. I was surprised to hear experts say that areas where a lot of people work. We can imagine all the trades that this program would not help anyone get a mortgage from a financial go into building a home, whether it is a condo, a row house, a duplex institution, since the program will only apply if the person has or whatever it is. We heard that 147,000 first-time homebuyers were already qualified for a mortgage with their financial institution. unable to get into the type of home they wanted. The Canadian Home Builders' Association said that. According to the Canada Could my colleague talk about this point, which has been ignored? Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the number of new mortgages The government is implying that this program will help more coming out dropped by 11.9%. Then there is the government Canadians buy homes, but witnesses in committee said the complete overreaching with the B-20 stress test, the Minister of Finance's opposite. Only Canadians who have already qualified for a mortgage stress test, and then panicking, I think, and being unwilling to admit will be able to participate in this program. it made a mistake. 28634 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders Even at committee, the Liberals would not admit they had made a the vision outlined in budget 2019. This is the Liberal government's mistake, so now they are trying shared equity mortgages, throwing it last bill, its last chance to turn its ideas and its vision for the nation up there to see if it will work. That is not the right way to be doing into reality. It goes without saying that everything that was left out, policy-making in this country. It is okay to admit a mistake and then everything that still has to be done and everything the Government dial it back. That is what all the big banks have been asking for. of Canada is leaving unfinished will have to wait until later. I will mention one last thing. I asked every single stakeholder whether shared equity mortgages would offset the impact of B-20, and not a single one said they would. ● (2115) We will have to take the word of the Prime Minister, who, during Mr. Adam Vaughan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister the next election campaign, will try to convince Canadians that he of Families, Children and Social Development (Housing and will have time in the next four years to do what he did not have time Urban Affairs), Lib.): Madam Speaker, I am most interested in the to do in the past four years. We know full well that many promises comments that the hon. member made regarding breaking up the have been broken over the past few years. Some were much bigger mortgage structure of the country to regionalize it, instead of having than others. Take electoral reform. Many Canadians remember quite a one-size-fits-all set of policies, which has been the policy of every clearly that this was a solemn promise. The Prime Minister repeated federal government since CMHC was founded. it almost daily during the election campaign. Nearly a year and a half later, he did not hesitate to break that promise, brushing it aside by Does he see those regional delineations along provincial lines or saying that he changed his mind, that it was not a good idea after all, along urban-rural lines? How would the member opposite configure and that he would not be moving forward with electoral reform. This a regionalization of mortgage rules, a regionalization of mortgage is a government that broke some of its signature promises, such as stress tests and also assessment of risks in the market? returning to a balanced budget. I know that my Conservative Mr. Tom Kmiec: Madam Speaker, that is one of the matters I colleagues like to bring that up quite a bit. would have liked the finance committee to consider. If it were not for the member's Liberal colleagues on the committee voting it down twice and then being unwilling to negotiate a reasonable study of the issue, we could have looked into Clearly, this government, which is nearing the end of its term, is what type of regionalization is reasonable and whether it is even suffering from a lack of credibility in terms of its campaign reasonable or not. We already do it for employment insurance and promises, and it will soon try to convince Canadians that it needs for several other government programs. CMHC actually tracks the another term to complete what it did not have time to do in this last cost of mortgage premiums by province. Would that be a better way budget. Canadians are not stupid. They know what this Prime of doing it? Minister's word is worth, because they have had four years to see We could not get to any of that expert testimony, expert him at work, to listen to him and to see what he had to offer information, because the Liberal MPs on the committee were so Canadians. The people of Sherbrooke, Quebec and Canada will unwilling to even entertain the idea of looking at a B-20 stress test realize that his word is unfortunately not worth very much. This is study. That would have given us the ability to call in people from the kind of thing that fuels cynicism among Canadians, and among CMHC and outside stakeholders to give us the answers on what is my constituents back home in Sherbrooke. I often hear people say reasonable, what is not reasonable, what is doable, what is not they are disappointed by politics and politicians. I am trying to get doable. them interested in politics again, but when a government like this one, formed by the , breaks so many [Translation] promises so shamelessly, it fuels cynicism about politics. That is Mr. Pierre-Luc Dusseault (Sherbrooke, NDP): Madam why people will be so wary of any of the campaign promises made Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on behalf of my caucus. I am by the Prime Minister of Canada, and with good reason. We have to sure that other members will have a chance to do the same, but I am give them some credit. They will be right to doubt him, because the deeply honoured to be taking part in the third reading debate on Bill Prime Minister has broken so many of his promises during this last C-97. term. This bill has already been heavily scrutinized here in the House and at the Standing Committee on Finance, and its sheer size has provoked much debate. The bill is more than 400 pages long. It is yet another omnibus bill. Its content has also sparked debate. I would be remiss not to mention the content of the bill, as well as everything This is a last-chance budget. Today we are debating the that the government left out. I am going to focus on the aspects of the government's budgetary policy, its execution and its implementation. bill that we consider most problematic, as well as the things that That is why, on our side of the House, we will ultimately have to were completely left out of this last-chance budget. vote against it. We will be forced to vote against Bill C-97 at third reading because it does not meet Canadians' needs. Clearly, on many It is 2019, and this is the government's last opportunity to deliver issues, the government has not responded to the concrete problems on its mandate and vision for the country. It is already June 2019. Canadians are facing, and it is not about to do so over the next few The latest budget was tabled in March, and this bill seeks to realize months. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28635

Government Orders ● (2120) Canada like the family from Vancouver and end up signing a settlement to close the books. We will be voting against this budget, and we hope that many members will do so as well. We need to send the government a clear ● (2125) message. Its fiscal policy has not worked so far, and the rich are getting richer. We saw this recently. I will give just one example, that of KPMG. The accounting firm and its clients once again reached an This sends the message that, under the current government, it is out-of-court settlement after they were caught avoiding taxes using a acceptable to engage in tax evasion and shady schemes. The scheme that was dubious and questionable, to say the least. It was government is turning a blind eye to all of that. That is the sort of certainly questioned by the Canada Revenue Agency. behaviour that is perpetuated by the implementation of this budget and the government's budgetary fiscal policy. The Canada Revenue Agency recently made a proposal to these clients. They were told to pay their taxes and the matter would be We heard some powerful, compelling testimony in committee. closed. They could move on once they paid their debt to society. The witnesses spoke to many parts of the bill, which is 400 pages These people had a minimum of $300,000. For every file that long. This bill affects many laws and makes significant changes to KPMG opened, the client had to pay the firm at least $300,000 to put many sectors of our economy. However, some provisions have the scheme in place. In addition, the firm would take a cut of the tax nothing to do with the economy, but the government threw them all savings that their clients realized with the Isle of Man scheme. into the budget implementation bill anyway. It is therefore difficult for parliamentarians to speak to the bill as a whole. The scheme was revealed to the general public, so I will not repeat all the details. We know that the clients moved money abroad to a We will soon have to vote on this 400-page bill. It will be a single place with low taxes. They managed to avoid paying taxes by using vote, even though the bill makes many changes to many different all kinds of strategies, such as shell companies and fake directors. In laws. Earlier today, we voted on the amendments to this bill at report its agreements with clients, this accounting firm demanded a cut of stage. We therefore had the opportunity to speak to many parts of the the tax savings. That is not something to be taken lightly. The firm bill. At third reading, there will be just a single vote either for or promised tax savings and took a percentage off the top. This week, against the bill as a whole. When the Liberal Party was on this side these clients signed a settlement with officials of the Canada of the House, it spoke out against this practice. The Liberals Revenue Agency. With this settlement, they can put the matter criticized omnibus bills at every opportunity, because omnibus bills behind them, close the books, pay the taxes, say goodbye and carry do not allow parliamentarians to vote on each measure or group of on as if nothing happened. measures. That is the message the Government of Canada decided to send all Canadians today. It conflicts with the standard messaging that the Since we have to cast a single vote on the bill as a whole, we need government and the Minister of National Revenue has been to consider the pros and cons of the bill. Today, it is clear that the delivering up to now, about how the net is tightening, how tax cons outweigh the pros. Although we recognize that the bill contains cheats will pay, and how there never has been and never will be an some good measures, we have no choice but to vote against this amnesty. The Canada Revenue Agency and the minister even sent budgetary policy. out photos showing people in handcuffs back when the KPMG scandal broke. She said that tax cheats would pay for their actions and that criminals would be put behind bars. The government has tried to make up for its blunders on several issues by presenting amendments in committee or at report stage. Today she is sending a different message. People who could afford Earlier today, we debated the amendments that the government had to spend $300,000 on a scheme, plus a percentage of the money they proposed, with a royal recommendation, to change the bill. The saved on taxes, can afford to pay lawyers to get them off the hook government had to backpedal to fix things, particularly as regards the with just a slap on the wrist. housing act. Understandably, most Canadians, including most of the people of Sherbrooke, find that frustrating. They see rich people who can The section on the housing act fell well short of what Canadians afford to pay the accounting firm and who have the means to defend and housing experts had expected. The experts said that the right to themselves in court against charges relating to these borderline housing is a fundamental human right, something the government schemes getting off with a slap on the wrist, and my constituents find refused to acknowledge in the first draft of the bill. It had to fix that, that frustrating in the extreme. I know my colleagues are frustrated just like it had to fix other parts of the bill. too, but, unfortunately, the government decided to do nothing. Rather than do something, the government decided to follow in the In committee, we tried to get the government to see reason on Conservatives' footsteps and give preferential treatment to people certain issues. We wanted it to provide a list pertaining to student who can afford to pay accounting firms, tax experts and lawyers to loans as quickly as possible. In the bill, the government proposes defend them against these charges and emerge virtually unscathed. starting to charge interest on student loans after six months. We tried Sure, they will pay the taxes they owe. It is the least they can do, but to persuade it to just make student loans interest-free. It is not right to the government is signalling that they can keep doing this. The ask former students to pay interest on loans they took out to train for worst-case scenario is that they will end up in the Tax Court of a career. 28636 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders In committee we learned that this interest brought $700 million pass. The government is asking Canadians to trust it even though it annually into the coffers of the consolidated revenue fund of Canada. broke many promises. It says that it will keep this one and that we That money funds the government's priorities when it could stay in must trust it, even if it has been saying so for 25 years. the pockets of young people who just completed their studies and are entering the workforce. Those young people have to save money to As for oil companies, the Liberals continue to subsidize the fossil get into the real estate market and invest in our economy in various fuel industry to the tune of billions of dollars every year. This budget ways. The government is currently taking $700 million out of the would have been a good opportunity to put an end to that. pockets of young workers who are fresh out of school, and putting that money in the consolidated revenue fund. Also, household debt continues to rise. Canadians are within $200 The government is giving former students a six-month relief of insolvency each and every month, and the government is doing period when it could have gone further by permanently eliminating nothing to fix that. interest on student loans and stopping government funding by students. The government rejected this proposal. Furthermore, the media bailout has been the talk of Parliament Hill and elsewhere. The media just want tax fairness. Of course, they ● (2130) also need some assistance to meet certain challenges, but above all, As far as worker health and safety is concerned, representatives they need tax fairness. The government needs to put an end to the from the Canadian Labour Congress told us in committee that the double standard that is giving web giants a free ride when it comes to flexibilities of the Hazardous Products Act benefited industry to the taxes. They are exempted from paying income tax and sales tax, and detriment of the health of the workers who are exposed to these are raking in billions of dollars in ad revenues, while our local and products in the short or long term. They could have accidents with national media can barely make ends meet and take in sufficient ad these hazardous products. The government is easing the rules to give revenues. the chemical products industry a free pass, which jeopardizes the health and safety of Canadian workers. In committee, the This is a bad budget bill. The government missed out on its last government once again sided with industry and the major lobbies opportunity to show some courage and make the right choices. in this country to ensure that their profits keep going up every year. ● (2135) Furthermore, a large number of witnesses spoke out against the changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Bill C-97 is, I can assure the House that Canadians will not give the Liberals quite simply, anti-refugee. It creates two classes of refugees: those another term, since they merely spew empty rhetoric and make lofty who enter Canada regularly and those who enter irregularly. The promises, and have not honoured their commitments over the past government is creating two parallel systems that it claims four years. Canadians will turn to an alternate serious and credible complement each other or are nearly identical. solution, like the NDP, so we can finally fix the problems facing our The government could have simply turned to the Immigration and society in 2019. Refugee Board, which does a very good job and which needs more resources. Unfortunately, it decided to create two classes of refugees. Ms. (Outremont, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I thank One refugee even testified in committee that if the government's my colleague for his speech. heartless bill had been in force, he might not be in Canada right now because he would have been sent back to his country, where he is in Bill C-97 will enact Canada's first national poverty reduction danger. Numerous experts called this a bad idea. That is why we are strategy. I would like to know whether my colleague would agree compelled to oppose the bill. that that strategy is not only important but vital to helping the most vulnerable Canadians in our society. Now let's talk about pensions, which were not protected and which continue to be at the bottom of the order of creditor priority in Mr. Pierre-Luc Dusseault: Madam Speaker, I thank my the event of bankruptcy or insolvency. They could have had the colleague. courage to respond to the concerns heard at consultations. Most people said that the order of creditor priority had to be changed. The She heard the many witnesses in committee who spoke about government decided to ignore all the experts' recommendations. poverty reduction and the national housing strategy, which are two major parts of Bill C-97. That was also the case for stock options. The economic update indicated that the government would address this situation, which is clearly problematic because it benefits the wealthy. It even says so in I may repeat myself here. The member should already know my the budget document, but they decided to ignore the issue. In this position on poverty, since she serves on the committee with me. budget, which is its last chance, the government decided to do Frankly, I think that the government set its sights too low. The nothing and wait until after the election to solve the problem, even United Nations' first sustainable development goal is the elimination though we know this government will be gone in October 2019. of poverty, not the reduction of poverty, which is what the Liberal government is proposing. The government set its sights too low by The Liberals gave in to the pharmaceutical lobby on pharmacare. simply planning to reduce poverty by 50%. It could have gone even They gave them more time to rake in the biggest profits of the further and created a plan to eradicate poverty, which should be the corporate world at the expense of taxpayers. They were given a free goal of ever member in this House. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28637

Government Orders The government simply decided to set a target for reducing Canadians can only access the program if, and only if, they qualify poverty. Once this target is met, the advisory council will be for a mortgage. This measure is being misrepresented by the dissolved and we will move on. The same goes for housing. The government. Liberals had to backtrack and adjust their bill along the way because experts were unanimous in saying that the bill was seriously flawed. Mr. Robert Aubin (Trois-Rivières, NDP): Madam Speaker, I The government does not even recognize housing as a fundamental listened carefully to the speech of my colleague from Sherbrooke. right. They fortunately rectified the situation, but they missed their He mentioned a few of the measures in the budget that made some first chance and had to fix things. sense, but I mostly heard him provide a rather long list of things that [English] did not make sense at all. Since he had only 20 minutes, I am sure he did not get to everything. Mr. Dan Albas (Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, CPC): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Sherbrooke for the work he does on the finance committee, a task I During the 2015 election campaign, many analysts told us that the know very well. We spend quite a bit of time on it. Liberals were not unlike the NDP, in that they campaigned to the left and were in touch with the grassroots. However, when I look at the I would like to ask a more practical question about Bill C-97. In way they govern and how they deliver their budgets and the the bill, the government has offered a shared equity program through measures therein, I have a hard time seeing the difference between a the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. We had a similar Liberal government and a Conservative government. program in British Columbia, and there was not very much pickup on it. Would it then be correct to say that the Liberals campaign to the I raise that for two reasons. The government has not given very left but govern to the right? much information, but what we do know is that it intends to make it operational by September 20. With our fixed election dates, it seems Mr. Pierre-Luc Dusseault: Madam Speaker, that is a good way scandalous to offer a new program just before an election. to describe what happened during the last election campaign. This is not the first time we have heard it said that the Liberals signal left However, more important to the people who will be relying on it, and then turn right. That is a very old expression. It is a rather one of the reasons why the shared equity program in British dangerous thing to do on the road. However, that is exactly what this Columbia was not picked up was that mortgage brokers said they government did with the many budgetary measures it introduced were not able to get answers as to who could apply and under what over the past few years. It signalled one way during the election criteria one could get the proper approvals to be able to purchase a campaign and then turned the other, hoping that people would not house. As we know, it can be very difficult for someone who is not remember when it came time for the next election. We are here to able to make a proper offer to buy a home in a timely manner. If they remind Canadians that they were hoodwinked during the last do not know within days, chances are the deal will go to someone election campaign and that this time they do not have to go back to else. the Conservatives' austerity. Does the member feel that this is a proper program? Does he feel that the practical realities of implementing such a program on such a The Conservatives make dangerous decisions for the safety of short time basis may end up not achieving its intended purposes? workers. Canadians also do not have to go back to a party that says ● (2140) one thing and then does the opposite, a party that makes promises [Translation] and then shamelessly breaks them. They have a credible and reliable option. The NDP has always been on the right side of the debates in Mr. Pierre-Luc Dusseault: Madam Speaker, from what we heard the House, and we will live up to Canadians' expectations if they in committee, one thing was clear. Although the government's give us a chance. That is what I sincerely hope for the next election intention was to make housing and home ownership more accessible, campaign. this first-time homebuyer incentive, also known as a shared equity mortgage, will not achieve its goal. Aspiring homebuyers must Mr. Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal, Lib.): Madam qualify for a mortgage from a financial institution before they can Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Sherbrooke, apply to the much-touted incentive program for 5% to 10% of the whose speeches are always thoughtful and intelligent. down payment.

The officials from the CMHC and the Department of Finance were He talked about our government's economic record, which I am not even able to provide any details on this program. They did not very proud of. Unemployment is at its lowest since the 1970s; we know what the 5% to 10% share of equity meant in practical terms. have lifted hundreds of thousands of Canadians, especially children Would there be active involvement? If the homeowner did and seniors, out of poverty; and no G7 country other than the United renovations that increased the property value, how would the added States has a higher growth rate. Furthermore, we have created over a value be shared out? million new jobs in Canada since 2015. All of the questions on this aspect were very important. The government is saying it will have a share in property owned by One way to create jobs is through the private sector. The $40- Canadians, but it is being stingy with details. Ultimately, this billion LNG Canada project will create more than 10,000 jobs in measure will not even make housing more accessible, because British Columbia by 2021. 28638 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders Are the member and his party in favour of the LNG Canada [Translation] project? That is why budget 2019 reaffirmed our commitment to reducing ● (2145) poverty. It will introduce an official poverty line for Canada, set Mr. Pierre-Luc Dusseault: Madam Speaker, I cannot respond to poverty reduction targets, including a goal of reducing poverty by every point my colleague raised, so I will focus on the specific 50% by 2030, and create an independent national advisory council to question at the end of his remarks. monitor and publicly report on our progress toward poverty reduction. This strategy makes Canada a world leader in eradicating That is a perfect example of the government saying one thing and poverty. That is definitely something to be proud of. doing another. Here is another one. The government decided to spend $15 billion in public money to buy an existing pipeline and ● (2150) expand it, which will cost at least another $10 billion, for a total of [English] $15 billion invested in fossil fuels. The government says it is taking care of the environment, but it is When we talk about holding ourselves to account, we are talking also investing in a liquefied natural gas project when what we need about statistics. We are talking about hard facts and real numbers. to do is transition to renewables. That is what we have been saying for years, and we are saying it again today. We need to stop investing Just a few months ago, Statistics Canada published results from in fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. We need to invest in the the 2017 Canadian income survey. This was the first release of such energy sources of the future. That is where the government should be data since we launched Canada's first poverty reduction strategy, a investing Canadians' money. We have no problem with the private strategy that targets a 20% reduction in poverty by 2020 and a 50% sector financing projects. What we have a problem with is the reduction by 2030. government spending massive amounts of public money on fossil fuel projects rather than investing in renewable energy and the green I am very pleased to report to the House that the statistics show economy of the future. that we have met our first poverty reduction target a full three years ahead of schedule. The Liberals and Conservatives are like two peas in pod on all these issues. They do everything for the economy and nothing for the Between 2015 and 2017, the poverty rate fell by more than 20%. environment. What does that mean? It means that there are 825,000 fewer Canadians living in poverty. It means that Canada has reached its Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Outremont, Lib.): Madam Speaker, I lowest poverty rate in history. It means that Canadians have more will be sharing my time with my colleague from Mississauga—Erin money in their pockets: The median after-tax income for 2017 is the Mills. highest in Canadian history. I am very proud to rise in the House today to speak to this The poverty rate of 9.5% in 2017 is the lowest poverty rate ever, fundamental bill. Our 2019 budget will enshrine some important based on Canada's official poverty line. This represents an important goals in law, like the first Canadian poverty reduction strategy. step toward our government's goal to cut poverty in half by 2030. [English] [Translation] It is a privilege to rise in the House and speak to this legislation, which would enact the poverty reduction act. In addition to the targets, the Canadian poverty reduction strategy also introduces Canada's first official poverty line, which will be As many already know, reducing poverty, and in particular based on the cost of a basket of goods and services that individuals childhood poverty, is something I care about very deeply. As a new and families need. mother of a 22-month-old girl, I cannot accept and will not accept that there are children in Canada who do not have a roof over their The strategy also provides for the creation of a national advisory heads, who do not have a warm bed to sleep in, who do not have council on poverty. This group will advise the Minister of Families, enough food to eat. That is why it is so important to me that we enact Children and Social Development on poverty reduction and publicly Canada' first national poverty reduction strategy. report, in each year, on the progress that has been made. My riding includes the community of Côte-des-Neiges, the [English] municipality of Outremont, as well as the community of Mile End, all adjacent to downtown Montreal. While it is often believed that I would like to highlight for the House some of the federal poverty is not an issue in my riding, I can say from experience that programs that are working to reduce poverty in Canada, and we there is poverty hiding below the surface. There are families barely know that they are working because the statistics bear it out. able to make their rent payments. There are lineups outside food banks and clothing drives. There are children who go to school For example, the old age security program and the guaranteed hungry in the morning. income supplement both play a significant role in providing income security to Canadians in their senior years. When our government Poverty often hides, and I can tell the House that it is hiding in increased the guaranteed income supplement, we improved the every single community right across the country. financial security of close to 900,000 seniors across Canada. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28639

Government Orders Our government also introduced the Canada child benefit. The historic low. Since we have been tracking unemployment, we have Canada child benefit provides families with up to $6,400 per child never had such a low unemployment rate. I believe that we delivered under the age of six, and up to $5,400 per child aged six through 17. on the economy in ways that Canadians can feel, not only in their This is what has helped raise 300,000 children out of poverty in this pocketbooks but in their everyday lives. country. Mr. Terry Duguid (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister Instead of making cuts like the Conservative government of Doug for Women and Gender Equality, Lib.): Madam Speaker, I want to Ford in Ontario, our government is investing. We have invested thank the hon. member for her remarks, as well as for her terrific billions of dollars in the national housing strategy and the renewal of work on the status of women standing committee, particularly her labour market development agreements in infrastructure projects and work in advancing the cause of senior women. in health care, all of which will help reduce poverty in this country. [Translation] Manitoba is home to 63 first nations. It is the homeland of the Our government's investments improve the lives of children, Métis Nation. I wonder if the hon. member would comment on the seniors and vulnerable Canadians. For example, the Canada child historic investments we have been making in our indigenous benefit increased support for families and continues to help lift communities in Manitoba and beyond, and how we are helping to almost 300,000 children out of poverty. Our new and enhanced reduce poverty in those communities. Canada workers benefit will help lift 75,000 low-income workers out of poverty by 2020. By reducing the eligibility age for old age Ms. Rachel Bendayan: Madam Speaker, the consultations that security to 65 and increasing the guaranteed income supplement, we were conducted and the conversations had with Canadians really prevented tens of thousands of seniors from living in poverty. informed the first strategy on the reduction of poverty. We had many discussions, as my colleague will know, with indigenous commu- Several other policies also helped reduce poverty, such as the nities and aboriginal peoples right across the country. It has indeed creation of the first national housing strategy. The Liberal informed many of the different programs that fall under the strategy. government innovated once again. This is the very first national For example, the national housing strategy commits to the successful housing strategy in Canada and it comes with $40 billion in funding implementation of specific measures for first nations, Inuit and over 10 years, which will result in the construction of 100,000 new Métis. affordable housing unit and renovation of more than 300,000 existing units across the country. Our government is meeting the Similarly, the new indigenous skills and employment training urgent housing needs of more than 500,000 Canadians. We are program recognizes the unique needs of first nations, Inuit and Métis ensuring that they will have safe and affordable housing. through the creation of a distinct program and funding stream. The The initiatives I have just outlined represent significant invest- “Opportunity for All” strategy to reduce poverty will also take ments for Canadians. There are already 825,000 fewer Canadians actions to help better understand poverty among first nations, Inuit living in poverty and we expect that a greater number of Canadians and Métis. As well, the government plans on working with will be lifted out of poverty as the benefits of our investments indigenous leaders, communities and organizations throughout the materialize in the coming years. It is clear that our government is country to identify and co-develop indicators that reflect poverty in working hard to give Canadians a real and fair chance to succeed. those communities. Thanks to budget 2019 and Canada's first poverty reduction Mr. Garnett Genuis: Madam Speaker, I just have a brief follow- strategy, we are on our way to a poverty-free Canada. I am therefore up to my previous question, which I do not think was answered. The asking members of the House to vote in favour of this bill and help member may have many other things she wishes to say about the thousands of Canadians and thousands of children escape poverty. economy, the government's record and so forth, but those watching ● (2155) can understand a simple question and whether the question is answered. [English] Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC): Madam Speaker, I have a simple question for my colleague. Does the member believe that the budget should be balanced at any point, and if so, at what point does she think the budget should Her party ran in 2015 on a commitment to balance the budget by be balanced? 2019. The budget is obviously not balanced. That was a choice. People voted for a balanced budget by 2019. Does the member think Ms. Rachel Bendayan: Madam Speaker, I believe that at the the budget should be balanced at any point? If so, by when? moment the current economic conditions call for greater investment Ms. Rachel Bendayan: Madam Speaker, we ran on a strong in our country, which is what we have been doing. Investing in economy. We ran on ensuring that Canadians could find good- Canadians is what is propelling the economy forward. As I paying jobs and on ensuring that the middle class and those working mentioned previously, it is because of our investments in hard to join it would be able to succeed in this country. I am proud to infrastructure, health care and programs that service Canadians that say that we have delivered on that commitment. we are experiencing one of the greatest economic periods in our history. The unemployment rate is at its lowest, since we have been We created over one million jobs in this country. There are more collecting data. Creating over one million jobs in this country has people working than ever before. The unemployment rate is at a been felt from coast to coast to coast. 28640 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders ● (2200) Since 2015, our government has worked to create a better quality Ms. (Mississauga—Erin Mills, Lib.): Madam of life for young Canadians and we are continuing that commitment Speaker, I have had the privilege of learning from the thousands of in 2019. In 2016 and 2018, we invested over $80 million to create residents of Mississauga—Erin Mills over these past four years. the student work placement program, supporting 8,400 student From knocking on doors to hosting 45 town halls, to helping over placements to better prepare students to pursue a career in STEM and 4,000 families with their individual cases, to advocating for support business. We are continuing this commitment through investments for organizations, to promoting small business, I have had the that will create 84,000 new work experience placements. We opportunity to be the voice for my riding here in this place. invested in the youth employment strategy and have committed $49.5 million over five years to modernize it and ensure all youth I start my remarks today on budget 2019 by thanking the residents have an equal opportunity to succeed. of Mississauga—Erin Mills for trusting me to be their voice and to advocate on their behalf. Through our investments, we more than doubled the number of Today, I would like to focus my remarks on the impact that our opportunities created through the Canada summer jobs program, Liberal government has had on the everyday lives of my constituents totalling more than 70,000 jobs for students last year and even more and how budget 2019 enhances that positive impact. this year. In my riding, that meant over 1,500 jobs for youth. We also eliminated unpaid internships in federal sectors to ensure Canadians Mississauga—Erin Mills is home to the University of Toronto's receive fair payment as they pursue meaningful work experiences. Mississauga campus. It is a beautiful campus with lush green spaces, amazing architecture and incredibly engaged students. On occasion, ● (2205) one can spot a deer wandering from the Credit River nearby. However, what brings me back to the campus time and time again are the students. I have had the pleasure of meeting them on To further tackle student debt, we are investing $1.7 billion to not numerous occasions during campus events, coffee meetings and only lower the interest rates on student loans, but to eliminate them classroom visits. entirely for the six-month grace period.

When we speak of students, I find that we often speak of youth, but in my experience, the student body is far more varied. In my We are implementing a first-time homebuyers incentive to support visits, I have met single mothers working for their degrees to better young Canadians looking to move out and purchase their first home. provide for their children, and women in their thirties and forties pursuing the means to a better career or pursuing their passions for For those who are struggling and facing mental health challenges, the first time. I have met seniors who, in their retirement, are we are investing $25 million to implement the pan-Canadian suicide studying, learning and engaging with questions that they have had all prevention service. of their lives. When I meet these students and listen to their stories, I better understand the issues that matter most to them. One of our commitments to Canadians is that we are a feminist These conversations with Canadians, knowing their struggles, government, one that works to ensure equality of opportunity for hopes and ideas, are what inspires our government to make real everyone across the country. The struggle for equal rights for women investments to create a better quality of life for all. This commitment has a long history and we are doing our part to promote gender has informed budget 2019, as it has informed our budgets each and equality in Canada and around the world. every year of our mandate.

As we continue forward on our path, the path that Canadians This challenge to overcome systemic gender discrimination and chose in 2015, a path of hope and hard work and the pursuit of a violence requires hard work, and that is our commitment. Not only more positive future, I find it is also important to look back on where did our Prime Minister appoint a gender-balanced cabinet and a full we started and how far we have come. department for women and gender equality, we also invested $2 billion in Canada's first women entrepreneurship strategy, with a I saw employment ads back in 2014 and 2015 that were looking to goal to double the number of female-led businesses by 2025, as well hire for an entry-level position but required five years of experience, as increasing the participation of women-owned enterprises in or for internships of six months, unpaid, for 40 hours a week. That federal procurement by 50%. was the reality facing youth in Canada. It is difficult for young Canadians already facing massive debt from their education to find work, let alone work in their field, and harder still to find work that is We have introduced proactive regulations to guarantee equal pay paid. I met one new graduate who had taken on an unpaid internship for equal work for women in federally regulated industries and taken and just to afford the commute to downtown Toronto was forced to steps to boost women's participation in the workforce. work a second job on evenings and weekends.

Young Canadians struggle to find the means to move out on their Every month, the Canada child benefit puts more money, tax-free, own to start their adult lives, and despite their hard work, many live into the pockets of nine out of 10 families, including those led by in poverty. single mothers, and is lifting 300,000 children out of poverty. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28641

Government Orders In 2015, we heard stories of seniors in my riding who were Alberta? If yes, what does she think the percentage of unemployment struggling to make ends meet. Their pension benefits had been is in Alberta? clawed back or lost entirely as their providers went out of business. Their retirement had been pushed back due to legislation that Ms. Iqra Khalid: Madam Speaker, as I stated in my speech and unfairly increased the age of eligibility. I met seniors who were as the Parliamentary Budget Officer and many Canadians have seen, forced to choose between paying for food and heat or their Canadians have created over a million jobs from coast to coast to medications. The seniors of Canada worked all their lives to shape coast over the past four years. this beautiful country and they deserve to retire in peace and dignity. Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: Tens of thousands of jobs in Alberta. Since 2015, we have been investing in their quality of life. We consult with seniors and we are continuing to implement supports to help them thrive through budget 2019. We have boosted benefits for Ms. Iqra Khalid: There have been tens of thousands of jobs in Alberta— nearly 900,000 seniors in Canada. Through our top-up payments to the guaranteed income supplement, we have lifted over 57,000 out of poverty. The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes): I can assure the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader Building on this, we have committed $1.76 billion over four years that his colleague is well able to answer the question. I would ask to enhance and extend the earnings exemption to include self-owned members in the official opposition not to be heckling or inciting businesses. We have already restored the age of eligibility for more debate while somebody has the floor. retirement back down to 65, the way it should be, and we will be proactively enrolling CPP contributors over the age of 17. The hon. member for Mississauga—Erin Mills. We are implementing legislation to protect pension benefits even in the case of corporate insolvency. Ms. Iqra Khalid: Thank you, Madam Speaker, for your intervention. I thank the parliamentary secretary as well for his We have empowered seniors through increases to the new assistance in making the House a more lively place. horizons for seniors program, which continues in budget 2019, with the addition of $100 million over the next five years to create even As I was saying, Canadians have created over a million jobs over more programs supporting seniors across Canada. the past four years and that is because of a different way of doing Last year, our government appointed a minister for seniors to politics, a different way of governing. Investing in Canadians has advocate for the support that our seniors deserve. I was proud to created these jobs. As we continue to reinforce those investments sponsor the e-petition that called for this appointment. and embellish them through budget 2019, we will see more and more impact on the lives of Canadians, including those who live in As members can see, we have come so far in what feels like such a Alberta. short time. There is still a lot to do and we are just getting started. Our plan to invest in Canadians is working. Over one million jobs I encourage the member opposite to continue his advocacy and have been created. More than 800,000 Canadians have been lifted ensure we work together for the people of Alberta. out of poverty. Our unemployment rate is the lowest it has ever been in over 40 years. Mr. (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Madam Speaker, I heard nothing but great things from the other side about the bill. We Budget 2019 is a framework for the next steps in our plan to will have to agree to disagree. A lot of things in it are not at all good improve everyday life for Canadians living in Mississauga—Erin for Canadians. Mills and across the country, from coast to coast to coast. The fact is that I have barely scratched the surface in my speech. The member talked about pensions and bankruptcy. The As we move ahead with our plan to fight the effects of climate legislation the Liberals are talking about has nothing to do with change, our strategy to bring Canadian businesses to new markets protecting pensions. It is absolutely garbage, foolish and nonsense. It and our efforts to make Canada a shiny example of equality of is lip service on what they said they would do in 2015. I will say opportunity for all, we will always remember and renew our more on that on Friday. commitment to Canadians. That commitment is of hope, hard work and the path toward positive change. In the bill, the Liberals want to remove the labels on dangerous products in the workplace. I cannot believe this is even in a budget In 2015, Canadians chose this path because they believed in a bill. This is health and safety in workplaces. We are not only putting better quality for life and they believed in a better future. That is the workers at risk by cowing down to the owners of the companies, what we are delivering. but putting front-line paramedics and firefighters, who deal with ● (2210) disasters and spills, in danger. They do not know whether they are Mr. (Edmonton Manning, CPC): Madam dealing with dangerous products or not. I do not know why anybody Speaker, we have heard the list of achievements from the member in the world would put that in here. It is unbelievable. It is a shame opposite. Since the member is aware of all these achievements and and it should be taken out. I would ask the member to comment on government activities, is she aware of the high unemployment rate in that. 28642 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders ● (2215) As I used to say when I sat on that side of the House, I would much rather be criticized for attempting to do too much for the Ms. Iqra Khalid: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the economy in a budget bill than not enough. member opposite for raising these concerns and for agreeing to disagree. As an example, in one of the omnibus budget implementation acts of the last Conservative government, I was honoured that an I would like to thank the first responders across Canada who do amendment I used in my private member's bill to end the prohibition the hard work and protect our lives. We really must commend them or ban on the shipping of wine was adopted by the previous Harper for the work they do and provide them as much support as we can. I government and expanded to also include beer and spirits in the was not able to address this in my speech today, but in budget 2019, 2014 budget. I would even make light of the fact that it was one page there is legislation and policy, not only in the budget but across the in the former Conservative implementation act that received government over the past four years, to tackle workplace harassment absolutely no complaints. issues, for example, and ensure safer workplaces. Indeed, in this current Liberal BIA, there is language that seeks to The member opposite also talked about pensions. In my riding of further amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act with the Mississauga—Erin Mills, I held numerous consultations with senior intent to remove federal barriers to directly ship to, in this case, the and labour organizations to talk about about pensions and what the end-user, shipping of wine, beer and spirits. Of course, that is all government could to ensure future pensions were protected. It is subject to provincial regulations. because of those consultations, not only in my riding of Mississauga —Erin Mills but across the country, that we have put forward While the intention, I am sure, is fine, the deletion of any legislation. It is in that culture that we are building better lives for reference to domestic or interprovincial rules in the Importation of Canadians every day. Intoxicating Liquors Act seems to me to be more of an abdication of Mr. Dan Albas (Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, any federal role. This is important. It is contrary not just to our CPC): Madam Speaker, it certainly is a pleasure to rise in this august Constitution and the framework that was set up in Confederation, but chamber to talk about the things that are important to the good also it really says that the Liberal Party has lost any sense of constituents of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. It is imagination or creativity to apply leadership. In fact, it feels that always a pleasure to speak on their behalf. abdicating the field is better than no leadership at all. I would take issue with that. Before I begin my speech tonight, I would like to share my time with the hon. member for Brandon—Souris, who will give a much There is also language in the budget implementation act that also more comprehensive speech on the finer details of the budget. proposes to protect RDSPs. As some may know, I submitted a private member's bill proposing to protect registered disabled I will share a few thoughts and observations on the budget savings plans and registered education savings plans. I was pleased implementation act, Bill C-97. to see the government take my suggestion of protecting RDSPs, which are a crucial savings option for many Canadians, particularly Who said that omnibus bills were used to prevent debate in the for those with children who have challenges. House and limit the ability of MPs to examine what was in the budget by putting all kinds of different things in a single budget? I In last year's budget implementation act, the government also will spare colleagues the suspense. It was the Prime Minister. adopted another idea I submitted from one of my private member's bills to amend the Bank Act so that credit unions could continue to It was also the Prime Minister who said, “I hope that future prime use consumer-friendly terms, such as “bank”, “banker” and “bank- ministers will not make excessive use of omnibus bills and will not ing”. resort to prorogation to avoid problematic situations.” The same Prime Minister said, “the abuse of omnibus legislation under the I mention these things to demonstrate that I do believe there is previous government was egregious and something on which we some merit in tabling comprehensive budget implementation acts committed to take action.” In fact, we know he promised not to use and, at the same time, to also point out there are measures in a BIA omnibus legislation in the last election, yet here we are. that I would support.

I only mention this because it points to the usual pattern from the One other thing in this bill is about reducing the regulatory burden Prime Minister. He is happy to demonize others, to make promises on credit unions. There is one measure in the bill that does exactly that he will never do that which he says is wrong. Even if he that. It was one of the four items proposed last December by the promises not to, he breaks his promise. Of course, in his mind it is Canadian Credit Union Association. Therefore, I give big points for always okay when he does it, just not okay when someone else does listening. it: do as I say, not as I do. ● (2220) From my perspective, I am actually prepared to give some leeway to the use of omnibus legislation. Why? Because I have sat on the However, of the two items listed in this year's budget, introduced government's side of the House. When we are in government, our by this Minister of Finance, we see in this bill only one. Again, the goal is to bring forward as many initiatives as we can and hope it Liberals get points for listening but zero points for delivery, other will keep the economy strong. than that one. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28643

Government Orders This also leads to the challenge of budget implementation bills proposal to borrow up to $10,000 more from an RRSP, up to a and why many critics oppose them. The downside of a budget maximum of $35,000? How many new homebuyers have they run implementation bill is that there are things one may strongly support, across with a spare $35,000 kicking around in an RRSP? Still, but there are also things that one may strongly oppose. As an homebuyers are only being allowed to borrow that money. They example, this budget implementation act would not lead Canada have to pay it back. Once again, more debt would be added. back to any semblance of a balanced budget in 2019. This Prime Minister looked Canadians square in the eye and promised them that he would do precisely that. Again, what we have here is a broken Ultimately, a budget implementation act should try to do as much promise. as it can for the economy. There are so many different things in here If we are being candid, let us simply admit the obvious. He is not that it makes it difficult for us to say what is good and what is bad. even trying to balance the budget. The finance minister will not even There are so many aspects I have not been able to touch on. What say the words “balanced budget”. should be number one on any government's mind is whether it is in the national interest to pursue this legislation. My vote will be no. There is another challenge with omnibus legislation, and that is when a government tries to hide something in a budget implementation bill that has no business being there. In last year's ● (2225) budget implementation act, one example was the deferred prosecu- tion agreement language. Not even Liberal MPs on the finance committee had any clue that the proposal was hidden in there or why. Mr. Nick Whalen (St. John's East, Lib.): Madam Speaker, Several said it did not belong there. Now we know, sadly, why the earlier in the night, I had some interesting questions for the member Liberals hid it in there, or at least some of the reasons. I suspect that for Sherbrooke on the issue of different mechanisms in the budget to the full story will never be known. help homeowners with affordability. In this year's budget implementation bill, there are proposed changes to Canada's refugee system that, frankly, do not belong in the bill. Those changes need to be debated independently. The debt issue is obviously important, not just to people in his riding but across the country. While home values are rising and the Let me get back to the budget itself, and I will point out some amount of debt and leverage associated with home ownership is up, other concerns that I will continue to raise. my understanding is that non-mortgage-backed debt is actually in a slight decline. As long as we are trying to support housing prices, This budget is silent on household debt. Let us recap why this is a make homes affordable for people and protect them from defaults on problem. After the Liberals' first year in government, household mortgages, if we see a decline in non-mortgage-backed loans and debt, as a percentage of gross income in 2016, was 166%. In January credit card debt, is that not a sign that the economy is doing well, and of this year, that had increased to 176%. Let us pause to think about should the member not support these initiatives? that for a moment. Canadian household debt is now 176% of gross household income. That has occurred in spite of the Liberal government spending over $60 billion since being elected, and still Canadians are falling further and further behind. This does not Mr. Dan Albas: Madam Speaker, when we had the Governor of include government debt that is being added onto the backs of the Bank of Canada at the finance committee, my province at the Canadians every single day. time had put forward a program similar to the shared equity program the government is offering. I asked the Governor of the Bank of Why do I raise household debt? Let us look at the Canada training Canada what he thought of it. At the time, the Bank of Canada was benefit. On the surface, it sounds like a good thing. What can be not in favour of it, simply because it can cause home prices to rise. wrong with encouraging skills, jobs and retraining? However, when We would have home prices rising at the same time we have people we read the fine print, only $250 per year is available, up to a career going into the market and taking on more debt, in addition to having maximum of $5,000. The challenge I am already hearing is that the a government that is borrowing money to pay for the program majority of training programs cost well in excess of $5,000. Many CMHC would be offering. skills training programs are literally thousands of dollars or more. For many workers, to benefit from this $250 training credit will mean borrowing thousands of dollars and increasing household debt. Debt is an important part of an overall plan, but the government Similarly, to access a credit of $5,000 toward the purchase of a does not have a plan for its own debt. It does not have a plan to help new electric vehicle, for most people, would mean borrowing up to Canadians get into homes without encouraging them to take on more the maximum program amount of $45,000. This again would result and more debt. At some point, we have to find reasonable limitations in more household debt for anyone borrowing money for a new and work with people. We should start in our own backyard with the vehicle purchase. Government of Canada starting to tame its own debt. A similar situation would be created with the new homebuyers' program. This budget offers many programs that sound great until Mr. (Chilliwack—Hope, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I we read the fine print and realize that people will end up borrowing, would like to thank the hon. member for his hard work in his and becoming deeper in debt, to access them. How about the constituency. 28644 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders I want to talk about this supposed benefit for homebuyers, the immigration minister is harder than getting the finance minister to equity portion. The member comes from British Columbia, as I do. I tell us when the budget will be balanced. would like him to talk about the average home price in his riding. In my riding of Chilliwack, the idea that people can get into a new home for anywhere near the $480,000 cap is just not possible. The I also understand that division 16 caused great consternation in the prices in the Lower Mainland are much higher than that. Who would Liberal caucus. This was a major pivot from their previous stance this be benefiting? Would it benefit people in his riding, or is this just that we could not do anything because of obligations and a marketing gimmick to make it look like something is being done international law. Somehow this change, which came out of for first-time homebuyers? nowhere, seems to have been given the green light by the justice Mr. Dan Albas: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for department. Chilliwack—Hope for the work he does. Obviously, his community has been impacted, because people are now having to go out further from metro Vancouver to be able to raise a family on a single The proposed Liberal changes have been panned by virtually detached lot. His community is fortunate to have many of those every immigration professional in Canada and are not likely to families, but again, it means longer drives, and it can be very tough. withstand any sort of court challenge. We have asked for the government's charter review of the legislation, and it has yet to When it comes to that program, the government has not been very provide it. What the government did provide was a very high-level transparent with people. Liberals say that they will lend on property response that said it was compliant. up to $480,000, but what they do not say is that people can only borrow a maximum of four times their income. For example, people would need to have $120,000 worth of income to get $480,000. Multiple witnesses testified at our immigration committee and Again, in many communities in the Okanagan, the average income is said that these changes might even add to the administrative backlog between $60,000 and $80,000. Four times that is not going to even and the burden on the refugee system by directing people through be able to buy someone a condo. the pre-risk removal assessment process. This change also raised This is where the government is trying to play games. Rather than concerns that the pre-risk removal assessment process would be dealing with some of up-front challenges, the government is trying to conducted by departmental officials rather than by the independent say that three lefts make a right and offers a program so that people and quasi-judicial Immigration and Refugee Board. somehow feel that it is doing something. It is more of a gimmick than an actual program that will help people. After ignoring concerns about how the Liberals reacted to the ● (2230) influx of people walking across the border to claim asylum, they Mr. (Brandon—Souris, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I took almost two and a half years to introduce legislation. In fact, they want to thank my colleague, the member for Central Okanagan— stuck it into the budget implementation bill, and our immigration, Similkameen—Nicola, for sharing the block of time we have here refugee and citizenship committee was not even permitted to amend this evening. It will allow me to zero in on one issue. He said that it. The Liberals pushed it through and tried to limit any political there are many that I might speak about, but I am going to zero in on fallout. It sounds just like how the Liberals presented the deferred one this evening. prosecution agreements issue in the SNC-Lavalin affair. In the Liberal's budget implementation bill, the government snuck in a major change to Canada's refugee laws. In fact, the Liberals did not even want to send division 16 to our immigration committee for To add to the confusion, there are conflicting media reports as to review. Luckily, our former Liberal chair, who I believe is very much whether the Liberals have reached out to the Americans to amend the opposed to his own government's changes, was able to get it referred safe third country agreement. According to the CBSA, they have had to our committee. fruitful discussions with their American counterparts, but neither the Minister of Border Security nor the Minister of Immigration, I want to set the stage for why the proposed changes are too little Refugees and Citizenship have told us if they want to amend the safe and too late. There is a good chance that they will be deemed not third country agreement. compliant with the Singh Supreme Court decision from the 1980s. Since the between-ports border crossers started to enter in the Moreover, the Auditor General just gave the Liberals a failing numbers we have seen in these past couple of years, the Liberals grade on how they have handled Canada's refugee system. The have literally done nothing to close the loophole in the safe third Auditor General was clear that the government “did not process country agreement with the United States. While there are MPs in asylum claims in an efficient and timely manner.” this House who want to scrap the agreement in its entirety, our public servants, who are in constant contact with their American counter- parts, still firmly believe that the United States is upholding the spirit of the agreement. The audit revealed that the Liberals did not adequately respond to the influx of border crossers from the United States, and the Auditor What we do not know is if the Liberal government has tried to General uncovered serious inefficiencies, which are contributing to renegotiate the agreement. Trying to get a straight answer out of the significant delays. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28645

Government Orders Due to these delays in processing claims, there has been an $340 million in 2017-18, $368 million this year, and if similar increase in total costs for all levels of government for such things as numbers come across next year, it will cost another $396 million. It housing, social assistance and health care. This report confirmed that is projected to cost at least $1.1 billion in just these three fiscal years, the Liberals were incredibly slow to react. They should have while costs will only continue to go up as the wait times for responded immediately, rather than delay for two years. processing through the Immigration and Refugee Board have ● (2235) ballooned. The Auditor General conducted this review because of “the rising number of asylum claims that is testing the ability of Canada's These numbers are just the federal government's expenses, and refugee determination system to process claims in a timely manner.” they exclude the hundreds of millions of dollars in costs being borne by provincial and municipal governments for housing and for According to the report, if the Liberals do not improve the system, welfare payments. the backlog and wait times will continue to grow. They are projecting that if the number of new asylum claimants remains steady at around 50,000 per year, the wait time for a decision will The numbers in the report are quite staggering. If the Liberals do increase to five years by 2024, which is more than double the current nothing to either close the loophole in the safe third country wait time. It goes without saying that these delays are costing agreement or deter border crossers, we can expect that the overall taxpayers millions of dollars and putting tremendous strain on the price tag will only continue to grow. resources of our provinces and municipalities. In the report, it was determined that roughly 65% of all asylum hearings are being postponed at least once before a decision is made. The PBO outlined in his report that the average cost per asylum This means that individuals seeking a decision from the Immigration claim will grow from $14,321 to $16,666 by 2019-20 as the backlog and Refugee Board are facing increasing wait times to determine if continues to grow. their claim is valid or they will be issued a deportation order.

The Liberals have only themselves to blame. The Auditor General The reason for this increased cost is that while asylum claimants was clear when he stated the postponements “were due to are in the country waiting for their refugee hearing, they are eligible administrative issues within the government's control.” for various government services. Moreover, as asylum claimants are The Auditor General also brought to light that while the denied by the Immigration and Refugee Board, the individual can government records the identity documents of those seeking asylum appeal that decision, which could end up costing $33,738 by the time claims, some were indecipherable and could not be read. the appeal is done. Furthermore, the Auditor General took a sample of the asylum claims and reported the government failed to check for criminality or The PBO also revealed that only 18% of border crossers have had to determine the identity of 400 individuals. He concluded that their refugee board hearing, and out of the failed claimants, only a neither CBSA nor the immigration department tracked whether fraction have been removed from the country. criminal record checks were always completed. There is a vacuum of leadership at the very top that is now Because of this influx, there has been significant pressure on permeating throughout the entire government. If the Liberals cannot resources for all organizations involved in this process, which has properly manage our immigration and refugee system, it is time for a led to delays in the processing of these claims. new government. They should stop blaming others and take responsibility. They have had years to make the necessary changes to improve efficiencies, and now the entire system is backlogged for ● (2240) years to come. If the Liberals think their proposed changes in the budget implementation act are a step in the right direction, they should listen To wrap up, not only do I oppose division 16, but I also want the to the litany of people who are speaking out and saying it will only Liberals to immediately get to work to renegotiate the safe third create more confusion. What we would have liked to have seen is a country agreement. Then and only then will we be able to restore clear commitment to fix this situation once and for all. confidence in our refugee system and stop ill-thought-out changes of the kind we find in this budget implementation act. It was just last year that I wrote to the Parliamentary Budget Officer to request a full financial analysis of border crossers into Canada. The request stemmed from the lack of financial information Mr. Nick Whalen (St. John's East, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I do have provided by the Liberal government. the fortunate opportunity to work with the member on the citizenship and immigration committee, where we had the opportunity to study Since January 2017, over 40,000 border crossers have been not only divisions 15 and 16 of part 4, which he spoke about, but intercepted by the RCMP in Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and British other aspects in the estimates as they relate to budget 2019 and, of Columbia. The PBO revealed that the border crossers cost taxpayers course, budget 2018. 28646 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders In budget 2018, we brought in measures for biometrics to better refugees. He will recall the parents and grandparents program being engage with our partners, including the United States, in identifying called a “burden” by the previous government. It took two years to people who come across the border. As the member knows, this will reunite spouses. We have that down to one year. allow us to have some type of a path for the repatriation of people back to the United States who come across the border irregularly. If the hon. member reflects on the record of the previous Hopefully, it will be a mechanism that the minister will be able to government, which he was part of, does he support the measures that negotiate with his foreign counterparts, a mechanism to have people were introduced by the previous government, and does he agree that who cross irregularly to be sent back at a regular crossing, because what we have done on this side of the House is an improvement? with thousands of kilometres of borders, it is not possible to render ● (2245) people back without someone to receive them on the other side. If they come irregularly at one point, there needs to be a mechanism to Mr. Larry Maguire: No, Mr. Speaker. send them back, and I look forward to hearing what is able to be Mr. Terry Duguid (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister negotiated. for Women and Gender Equality, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I just However, with respect to budget 2019, $1.18 billion over five remembered the second attribute of Manitoba. It is the curling capital years is committed for things like border security and improving the of the world, not just Canada. asylum process. The member has identified some problems with the I am going to share my time with my good friend, the hon. asylum process, but I wonder if he is favourable to our approach on member for Winnipeg North, whom I have known for 33 years. He strengthening border security itself, and whether he feels that these had a lot more hair back then, but he is wiser. He is my counsel. I am reinvestments in border security, after previous years of cuts, are so proud to have him sitting next to me. worthwhile. Mr. Larry Maguire: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague I am pleased to rise today as the Parliamentary Secretary to the for the question he has put forward and congratulate him on his new Minister for Women and Gender Equality, as well as the member for position as the chair of the immigration committee. Winnipeg South, to speak about budget 2019, a budget that focuses on building an economy that works for everyone, a budget that gives However, to answer his question, no, I am not in favour of all Canadians, regardless of gender, a fair and equal chance at division 16. If he was listening to my speech, he would have learned success. that we think still stronger measures are needed to be more clear in how these border issues are being handled. Our government truly believes that our country and our economy benefit when women, girls and people of all genders are safe and free On the issue of people who have come across between the border to live their lives to the fullest. crossings, the government has come up with an idea right out of the blue, which I think half of its own caucus was surprised to see come The facts speak for themselves. Over the last 40 years, greater forward. I think there needs to be consistency in dealing with this participation of women in the workforce has accounted for about issue. one-third of Canada's economic growth. According to the McKinsey As my colleague for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola Global Institute, advancing gender equality could contribute as much said a while ago, that consistency is lacking in this budget, and the as $150 billion to our economy by 2026. More and more, we can see situation facing the border crossers right now is another point of there is a very close correlation between gender equality, the level of inconsistency with the way the government has handled it. One of competitiveness and human development in our country. It is clear to the things the Liberals took two years to do was to even talk to the us that gender equality is the foundation for a prosperous Canada. Americans about whether or not they could begin the process. For decades, women's organizations and other equality-seeking organizations have been working hard to tackle the systemic barriers The Speaker: I will pause the time for a second. impeding gender equality, and they have made a huge difference. The other day we had a question from the hon. member for Wellington—Halton Hills on a point of order which helped me to We need to support further community action to create the right remind members that one member should be standing at a time. I do conditions so that everyone can achieve their potential. Our not mean when it is time for questions and comments, which is the government has stepped up with historic investments to advance time to stand, but when a member is speaking, everyone should wait gender equality, but women's organizations know first-hand how until the member is finished before getting up. vital it is to safeguard the hard-won rights and progress they fought for. Questions and comments, the hon. member for Winnipeg South. Mr. Terry Duguid (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister Budget 2019 made an important investment of $160 million to for Women and Gender Equality, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, there are two support projects that work to tackle systemic barriers impeding things that I think the hon. member and I agree on. One is that women's progress while also recognizing and addressing the diverse Manitoba is the friendliest province in the entire confederation and experiences of gender and inequality across this country. These new the second is that we are friendly to immigration. funds allow the government to set in motion new innovative partnerships to fundamentally change the way we fund women's I would ask the hon. member to reflect on the immigration and organizations so it is more stable and sustainable, and our Minister refugee policy of the previous government. He will recall the snitch for Women and Gender Equality has made some really terrific line to report barbaric practices. He will recall health cuts to announcements at Women Deliver in Vancouver this week. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28647

Government Orders Canadian women are among the world's most educated, yet The decisions governments make impact different people women and girls still face barriers in achieving their potential. We differently. That is why gender budgeting is at the heart of our cannot move forward if half of us are held back. Budget 2019 government's strategy to improve equality in Canada. In December, recognizes that and encourages women's participation in high- we passed the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act, which requires by demand fields of the economy through investments and skills law that all future budgets take gender equality into account when development and financial support for training in order to promote we make decisions. As we have said, what gets measured gets done. science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM sector, The gender results framework, launched in budget 2018, has guided to girls. These are wise investments indeed. our decisions on policies and programs that are responsive to the needs of the diversity of individuals in our society. Investing in the middle class includes investments in gender equality, and gender equality is a core consideration in this government's policies and programs. Our government is working to develop policies and programs that will deliver a society where a The most important determinant of our country's competitiveness person's gender identity or expression does not deter the likelihood is its human talent and the skills and productivity of its workforce. of developing one's potential. In this vein, budget 2019 helps address No one should be left behind. We all deserve equal access to the the unique needs and persisting disparities among LGBTQ2+ workforce and to political decision-making power. We should all Canadians by investing in capacity-building and community-level have access to resources and opportunities. work of service organizations. I want to thank the member for Edmonton Centre for his great work in this regard.

Ending gender-based violence is crucial if we are serious about To have a country where all citizens are equal and have a fair giving everyone the same opportunities to join and grow Canada's chance of success is a goal worthy of our best efforts. I believe the middle class. Our government has invested over $200 million in a people of Canada deserve nothing less than our very best. strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence. We have heard from survivors and the organizations that support them, and we are responding to the need for funding to prevent and address gender-based violence. We have heard from underserved groups, Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, groups that are often impacted disproportionately by gender-based CPC): Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the parliamentary secretary a violence and that need more resources to address the gaps in little more about the issues related to gender-based budgeting. services. We have listened and are investing more than $50 million for more than 60 projects in communities across the country to support survivors of gender-based violence and their families. There are, I suppose, two approaches one could take in this regard. ● (2250) One is to try to maximize choice and flexibility for women to ensure One of the harsh realities of gender-based violence is human they do not face the barriers they have historically faced in accessing trafficking, which I know is an issue everyone in the House feels certain kinds of opportunities. The alternative is to try to create strongly about and one that needs to be addressed aggressively. incentives to propel women into the workforce even when they Budget 2019 announced a whole-of-government human trafficking might want to make a different choice. strategy, recognizing that individuals at greatest risk of victimization include persons who are socially or economically disadvantaged, women and girls, youth and children, indigenous peoples, refugees and migrants, LGBTQ2+ individuals and persons with disabilities. In that context, I want to ask the member about the issue of the We need to address their needs. “use it or lose it” parental leave program. The government's approach to parental leave is to try to constrict and reduce the space Budget 2019 also supports combatting child sexual exploitation for choice, requiring that in order for families to get the full allotment online, preventing hate crimes and providing increased access to of parental leave, both parents have to take it at some point. That is family justice in the official language of one's choice. just not realistic for certain families, as it may be that one parent is not able to access parental leave. There is also a question of equality Our government was elected on a promise to support the middle in this type of program with regard to single parents. class and to work hard to help those who want to join the middle class. From day one, we have understood that one of the most important things we can do to achieve this is to ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable housing. The budget implementa- What I hear from women and young parents in my riding is that tion act before us today recognizes that the right to adequate housing they are looking for greater flexibility. They would prefer a system is a fundamental human right affirmed in international law. It ensures that allows, for instance, a greater opportunity for moms or dads on that Canada's first-ever national housing strategy is not also the last. parental leave to work a bit from home. Could the parliamentary The national housing strategy and the commitments to build and secretary tell my why the government believes the path to advancing repair shelter spaces for women fleeing violent situations mean that equality involves limiting choices? Would he not agree that a better more women and their children have a safe place to turn to. path might be to expand choices and flexibility for parents? 28648 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders ● (2255) we have been in government: one million jobs. That is a significant achievement. Mr. Terry Duguid: Mr. Speaker, I would argue that the current system is very flexible. Men and women can share parental leave. When we talk about those one million jobs, we ask ourselves how What we have done is added an extra five weeks for a second parent. that happened. It is because we have a government that is committed Often that time would be taken by fathers. to working with Canadians in all regions of our country. We have a government that is committed to working with many different This is a well-trodden path in Scandinavian countries and in stakeholders, provinces, territories, indigenous people and munici- Quebec. In previous eras, very few men would take parental leave. palities, and by working with Canadians, we were able to deliver in a We found that in Scandinavian countries and in Quebec, somewhere very tangible way. upwards of 87% of people, particularly fathers, will take parental leave because of the kinds of provisions we put in budget 2019. I referenced something the other day and I want to repeat it. From Mr. Scott Duvall (Hamilton Mountain, NDP): Mr. Speaker, day one, we have been focused on Canada's middle class and those there was a chance to help people who are off sick from work. I have aspiring to be a part of it, and that has been demonstrated from the been getting a lot of complaints from my constituents, and I know very first piece of legislation we introduced, which my colleagues we have been lobbied here in Ottawa about 15 weeks not being long will recall was Bill C-2. It is what gave the middle class of Canada a enough, especially nowadays because of the long hospital waits. substantial tax cut, putting hundreds of millions of dollars into the People might have hip injuries or need a new knee, but it takes a pockets of Canadians. long time to get that surgery done, and until that is done, they cannot If we carry that piece of legislation over to the budget of 2016, the work because they are having a hard time performing their jobs. very first Liberal budget under this administration, we saw Fifteen weeks does not cut it. Why did we miss the opportunity to substantial increases to the guaranteed income supplement, which increase those weeks when we have been pressured by society for lifted tens of thousands of seniors out of poverty. There were also many years to have this looked after? substantial increases to the Canada child benefit that completely reformed it, which again lifted tens of thousands of children out of Mr. Terry Duguid: Mr. Speaker, we have made a number of poverty. Through those things alone, we invested in Canadians in improvements to the EI system since we were elected in 2015. I very real and tangible ways. We put hundreds of millions of dollars participated in some of those when I was the parliamentary secretary into the pockets of Canadians in all regions of our country. In to the Minister of Families. We have increased flexibility, and Winnipeg North alone, there is $9 million a month for children, maternity and parental leave benefits have been improved. I know every month, in the form of the Canada child benefit. that the EI system is constantly being looked at and that the question has been raised in the House many times. The minister certainly is This is how to support the middle class and those aspiring to be aware of these questions and is always looking to improve the EI part of it and how to give a helping hand to those who really need it. system in this country. By doing that, we increased the disposable incomes of Canadians. It meant more money was being spent in our communities in all Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the regions of our country, and by doing that, we created jobs. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to address the chamber on a wide ● (2300) variety of issues. This evening is special in the sense that we are Take that into consideration along with the historic investment in talking about the budget. When we talk about the budget, we talk Canada's infrastructure. In the most recent budget we have seen an about priorities and I am happy to share my thoughts on the additional allocation for municipal infrastructure investment. That government's priorities. investment in infrastructure means hundreds of millions of dollars As the member for Winnipeg South pointed out, he and I go back being invested in every region of our country, creating more jobs. 30 years, both on the provincial and national scene. I have learned to Why have we been able to create one million jobs by working respect many of the things he does, especially on issues surrounding with Canadians? Compare what we did in the last three and a half the environment, women's issues and Churchill, Manitoba. These are years to the 10 years of misery with the Harper regime. For the types of issues he really digs his teeth into and produces tangible Canadians who follow the debate on the budget they will see there results. I respect the effort he puts in, day in and day out, in serving really is no change in the opposition today. The only change is the the constituents of Winnipeg South. Combined, we bring the south incredible amount of influence that Doug Ford has with the end of Winnipeg to the north and the north to the south. As he Conservative Party. The Premier of Ontario now sits on that small pointed out, it is friendly Manitoba and it has always been a pleasure circular table with Stephen Harper and the current Conservative to work with him in many capacities. leader. Having said all of that, I would like to pick up on a couple of An hon. member: Who is in charge? points. The overriding issue for me has always been to demonstrate that, as a government, we have been very effective in a relatively Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: That is a very good question that is being short period of time. The budget is all about priorities and ensuring posed. Many would suggest that nothing has changed, it is still the economy and the social fabric continue to move forward. When I Stephen Harper. Many would argue it is Stephen Harper behind the say the social fabric, I am talking about diversity. One of the most curtains. He is still the driving force with the Conservative Party. compelling facts is the number of jobs that have been created since There is no change. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28649

Government Orders Every so often Conservatives give a special invite to that circular in pursuing a future in Ontario provincial politics. We have had cases table. One of the individuals recently there was Jason Kenney from before of people elected in Manitoba who have moved to Ontario to Alberta. There are some interesting individuals at the top of the run. Maybe he is positioning for that. leadership. In the midst of all the bluster, all of the exaggeration and outright Imagine the discussion. Doug Ford says, “Just wait a minute, Mr. fabrication, I have one simple question for the member. When will Leader of the Opposition, I need more time to figure out this the bloody budget be balanced? environment thing”. As Canadians from coast to coast to coast wait for the Conservative Party to tell us what the plan is, we have to wait ● (2310) for Doug Ford to give instructions to the current opposition leader. Sadly, I do not think that is the limit. I believe that Canadians would Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, I do not know what it is be surprised at the degree to which the Conservative Party really that I said. takes its direction from individuals like Stephen Ford. That was a Freudian slip: Stephen Harper and Mr. Ford. Virtually everything I said was factual and could be supported. I did make one Freudian slip when I said “Stephen Ford”. That was The point is that we would like to see more transparency coming not factual. It is actually “Stephen Harper and Doug Ford.” I from the Conservative Party. At some point its members have to start apologize for that. However, everything else is a true reflection of telling Canadians what they are proposing. It was not that long ago reality. that the current leader of the official opposition said the deficit would be four or five years. Before long the Conservatives are going to It is interesting that when it came right down to the member's adopt the same policy in regard to what we are talking about on the question, he asked about balanced budgets. Really? Is that the best deficit. question he could come up with? When we take a look at our deficit- to-GDP ratio, we are actually doing quite well. As I pointed out, the It is important for Canadians to realize whenever we talk about last people we should turn to for advice are those in the Conservative deficits that the Conservatives like to give advice, but when Stephen Party of Canada. Harper became the Prime Minister of Canada, he inherited a multi- billion dollar surplus. Before the recession, he had already In the last 150 years of our Confederation, Conservatives have squandered it and turned it into a multi-billion deficit. actually governed for a minority of those years, yet they have Year after year of Stephen Harper Conservative rule in Canada, accrued the largest portion of the deficit. We do not need to take any the deficit was accumulated in excess of $150 billion. Is it any advice at all from the Conservatives on how to manage an economy wonder we do not take advice from Conservatives when it comes to or balance the books. managing the deficit, let alone the economy? We have been able to do in three and a half years what took the Conservative Party on the Mr. (Prince George—Peace River—Northern employment file almost 10 years to do. We know we have to invest Rockies, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I want to get back to the question in Canadians. We have to invest in infrastructure. We believe in about balancing the budget. I must say that this imaginary table that Canadians, not just serving the rich. Stephen Ford sits at, along with Stephen Harper, Iron Man and Superman, where they all gather and conspire against our Canadian Conservatives say they support tax cuts. That is balderdash. When government, is more than just a fabrication; it is certainly imaginary. they had a chance to vote for tax cuts, what did they do? They voted no. When they had the opportunity to say the rich in Canada, that However, I want to get back to the question from my hon. one per cent, should pay a little more, they voted no. It is a colleague about balancing the budget. In 2015, we were originally Conservative Party that caters to its friends. The middle class of promised that the budget would be balanced by 2019. Simply put, Canada is no friend of the Conservative Party. I believe that we have we are asking, if it is not going to happen in 2019, when will it be a government that will continue to work— balanced? ● (2305) Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, every year Stephen Harper The Speaker: Questions and comments, the hon. member for said that he would balance the budget, and that never happened. Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan. Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, Let me give the stats, for those who are following the debate: in CPC): Mr. Speaker, that was the most ridiculous speech I have ever 38% of the 151 years, which is a minority, the Conservatives actually heard in this place. accumulated 74% of the debt. Then we can take a look at Stephen Harper. As I said, he actually inherited a multi-billion dollar surplus Frankly, what it shows is that Edward Blake is still pulling the and said that he would have balanced budgets, but he turned that strings over there. We wonder how much influence he really has. multi-billion dollar surplus into a multi-billion dollar deficit even Maybe Stéphane Dion is really behind all the things this government before the recession, in his first year. is doing. We do not know for sure. They are sitting around a table somewhere, and who knows. At the end of the day, we would not be well advised to listen to In all seriousness, I do wish the member well with his post- what the Conservatives really and truly have to say about balancing parliamentary career after the election. It sounds like he is interested budgets. They are so far out on the issue. 28650 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders Mr. Ted Falk (Provencher, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I can assure existing pipeline plus the investment that had been made in the members that my presentation will not be as loud or as exuberant as proposed pipeline for $4.5 billion, using Canadian taxpayer dollars. the previous one. That may be a very welcome reprieve for the ● (2315) members and many others watching TV this evening. I also want to say that I am going to be splitting my time with the NDP member for Kinder Morgan had $1.8 billion invested in that project. The Beloeil—Chambly. I am going to do that for them. Liberal government turned around and gave it $4.5 billion for its $1.8 billion. Kinder Morgan had to realize a capital gain of $2.7 It is my pleasure to speak to the budget implementation act today. billion. That was Canadian taxpayer dollars that left this country, left I can best describe this budget implementation act and the budget as our resource sector here in Canada and were sent down to wealthy a distraction from Liberal scandals and failures. I want to set the Texas investors in Kinder Morgan, which owned the Trans Mountain stage a bit before we talk more about that. pipeline. Back in 1975, when I began my work career, I was a 15-year-old We have not been managing our millions of dollars very well. We boy. I got a job working at Steinbach Toyota, and my job was to have given $2.7 billion of Canadian taxpayer money to American wash cars. I worked for a gentleman by the name of Henry Kliewer. investors. In addition to that, Canada could have received a further He taught me how to wash cars. He developed in me an appreciation investment from Kinder Morgan of close to $10 billion in the actual for clean vehicles and he taught me all about detailing. He was a construction of the Trans Mountain expansion. That money will also fussy guy and he was absolutely careful and particular about now have to come from Canadian taxpayers. everything he did. We were walking through his shop one day in the back of the We have not been managing our millions of dollars very well dealership. We were coming up to the showroom part of the building under the Liberal government and under the current Prime Minister. when I noticed a penny on the ground. I was going to give it a bit of It has been a failure, and Canadian taxpayers are going to be the ones a kick with my foot. He saw what I was going to do and he picked it left on the hook. up and said, “This is one penny I am never going to have to work We have paid convicted terrorists $10.5 million. We have paid for.” He said, “I want to tell you something. I look after the nickels millions of dollars to Bombardier in Quebec. We have bought rusted- and the dimes, and the dollars look after themselves.” I have never out CF-18s from Australia to bolster up our defence forces and our forgotten that. That was in 1975 when I was making $1.95 an hour defence fleet of aircraft. That is money we will not recover. and he was concerned about nickels and dimes. Now we are looking at a budget implementation act that would I can extrapolate that to today. What a privilege it is to stand in implement the budget that the government has presented to the this House and talk about the finances of the country of Canada. It is House, which is not balanced. The Liberals are projecting a $20- an extreme privilege, and it is humbling, but today requires us to billion shortfall again. look at the millions of dollars because what we are talking about is the billions. If we are good stewards of the millions of dollars that we I worked in the credit union system for 30 years. For 17 of those are entrusted with as members of Parliament, then the billions will years, I was the president and chairman of Manitoba's largest credit probably look after themselves. union. One thing I know is that when times are good, money is set Let us talk about some of these millions of dollars that we have aside because rainy days are coming. not been looking after very carefully. We were promised sunny days. The sunny days are gone. I think The current Liberal government under this Prime Minister has they left on the first day after the election. We have some rainy days given Canadian taxpayer dollars to the Clinton Foundation. It has on the horizon. The time to invest money and to set money aside was given money to Hamas. It has gotten India to invest $250 million when the sun was shining. I saw that over and over again in my here in Canada, but only after we have turned around and invested experience and involvement in the credit union system. People who $750 million in India. If we do the math, that does not quite add up. wisely put money aside when times were good were the people who were successful with their finances at the end of the day. We have had a crisis with illegal migrants at our southern border with the United States. That crisis cost us roughly $200 million in Members of the Liberal caucus stand up in this place and tout the 2017 and $400 million in 2018. In 2019, it was another $600 good results they are having from a financial perspective in the million. It has cost us $1.1 billion already because we have Canadian economy. They tell us about all the jobs they have created mismanaged our borders and allowed illegal migrants to come into and how the economy is booming. It is actually not booming as this country, and we have been footing the bill. In addition to that, much as they say it is. They tell us it is booming, and yet they have municipalities and provinces have also had to pick up additional not been salting away money and reducing our debt to build up our expenses. That number is again projected to grow to another almost inventory of cash so that we can weather the storms that may $2 billion this coming year. someday come. Let us then look at the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline. Kinder The time to do that is when times are good, and the Liberals would Morgan owned the Trans Mountain pipeline. It had it on the books like Canadians to believe that times are good. If times are good, why for $600 million. It invested another $1.2 billion on working toward do we still have a deficit budget? We need to have a balanced constructing a second pipeline, known as the Trans Mountain budget. The Prime Minister promised in 2015 that by 2019 we expansion. The current government turned around and bought the would have a balanced budget. We do not have a balanced budget. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28651

Government Orders The budget that has been presented this year was supposed to be countries in the world. It was because we had Stephen Harper, who an election-type budget, with lots of good news. There is $41 billion the member for Winnipeg North has been so infatuated with all of new spending in this budget over the next five years. It was meant evening that he cannot stop talking about the great work he did. to be a bit of a hit budget, a budget that people could get excited Stephen Harper will go down in Canada's history books as the about. With all the scandals and failures of the current government, it greatest prime minister Canada has seen to date. The member for hardly got any airplay when it was announced. The $41 billion of Winnipeg North acknowledged this evening what a wonderful job he additional spending in the next five years is not enough to distract did, and I am so pleased that he is so infatuated with him. the Canadian taxpayer from the failures and scandals of the current government. ● (2320) Mr. Bob Zimmer (Prince George—Peace River—Northern Mr. Terry Duguid (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister Rockies, CPC): Mr. Speaker, we have growing debt and deficits like for Women and Gender Equality, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, my never before, but we have huge opportunities, with the TMX colleague is the member for the riding adjacent to mine, and I am pipeline, to transport oil and natural gas in my riding and get that to often in his riding, because I travel Highway 75 south to places like market. There is a way to make money as a country by developing Morris, which has great curling facilities. He knows that I am a big our natural resources. Does the member not think we should develop curling fan. more of those resources? I am a little puzzled when the member talks about the border and security. The Stephen Harper government, which he and the member for Brandon—Souris were part of, as they were both elected in by- Mr. Ted Falk: Mr. Speaker, we are so blessed here in this country elections, cut millions from the budget for border security and the with natural resources. Our biggest challenge is finding a way to get RCMP. In getting to their fake budget surplus, some of the other them to market. I am passionate about natural resources. things they cut were the Cereal Research Centre, the Institute for Biodiagnostics and the Experimental Lakes Area. There was a war on science in Manitoba. Why did the hon. member not stand up for [Translation] Manitoba? ● (2325) Mr. Ted Falk: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member from Mr. Matthew Dubé (Beloeil—Chambly, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I Winnipeg South for his complimentary remarks about my riding. thank the hon. member for Provencher for sharing his time with me. When he is looking for good employees to staff his constituency The NDP and the Conservative Party often disagree, but we have office, he comes into my riding and snatches the good folks out of been able to work well together in true parliamentary spirit. Provencher to provide him with the staffing he needs in his riding. It was probably the only Liberal in my riding, but he did get him, so good on him. I have five key points to make. Obviously, there could be more, Approximately 40,000 illegal migrants came into Canada in the since we are talking about an omnibus bill, but I will focus on five last three years, and not all of them through Emerson. Most of them points that I believe should raised in today's budget debate. came through Roxham Road, in Quebec. That was the result of one careless little tweet that said, “Welcome to Canada”. It does not matter who people are or where they are from, they are welcome here in Canada, and by the way, we will fork out $1.4 billion and go The first is that the oil industry subsidies are being maintained, further into debt to do it. That was the case. despite the government's promise to get rid of them. These subsidies are still in place. Budget 2019 is a missed opportunity to do That member is a member of the government. Right now, the something to fight climate change and provide additional revenue in Prime Minister is standing in the way of allowing his province to order to truly invest in green energy, the energy of the future. export the cleanest, renewable hydroelectricity energy from Manitoba into Minnesota. He is standing in the way of allowing the transmission line to proceed. Why does the member not encourage the Prime Minister to sign The second aspect I would like to address is another missed off on a deal that the NEB and the province have already approved? opportunity, and that is the fact that the government is not requiring web giants like Netflix to collect sales tax. That is important, and it Mr. David de Burgh Graham (Laurentides—Labelle, Lib.): shows a major lack of political will. Just look at Quebec. With the Mr. Speaker, if my friend from Provencher is so convinced that we stroke of a pen, Quebec managed to do what the current government can cut our way to growth, how is it that his government left the has not done in four years. We are seeing the consequences today, country completely penniless? with massive layoffs at TVA. We know that our cultural industry is Mr. Ted Falk: Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, we left, in suffering the effects of this unfair situation, which would be so easy 2015, with a balanced budget. We had just come through the greatest to fix. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a new tax. It is just a matter economic recession since the Great Depression. We successfully of applying existing taxes and the law consistently, as they apply to navigated that. We came out less scathed than any of the other G7 businesses here. 28652 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders Third, I would like to talk about the fact that this is an omnibus changes that many people have asked for and there continue to be bill. The issue of immigration and refugees comes up in this bill. A many concerns about those changes. budget bill is creating a situation that is unfair and discriminatory towards refugees. Omnibus bills were criticized under the previous Could the member share a bit of his thoughts and what he has Conservative government, which is precisely why the Liberals heard from people in his riding? promised not to use this kind of problematic tactic. As the member for Sherbrooke pointed out earlier in his speech, this matter was [Translation] raised several times at the Standing Committee on Finance. Mr. Matthew Dubé: Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his Stakeholders and civil society representatives had to appear before question. the finance committee to share their concerns regarding legislative changes that will affect refugees. It is completely absurd that this Some shady individuals try to profit off of vulnerable people by issue appears in an omnibus budget bill. It is completely offering services at an astronomical cost. In some cases, these unacceptable. services could have been provided by an MP's office or by people much more honest and reputable, for example, a lawyer, for a much Speaking of missed opportunities, my fourth point is about more reasonable fee. This is an extremely important issue. I employment insurance, the 50 weeks, and people with serious remember an article in Le Journal de Montréal about this. It talked illnesses who cannot get their fair share of EI and so are unable to about consultants that were misleading people about what they could return to work, despite having gone through a terrible ordeal while or could not do when coming to Canada. dealing with a very serious illness. We have been fighting for this for quite some time. Just think of people like Marie-Hélène Dubé and What we mainly object to in the proposed changes is the inequity everyone fighting for the same cause. We in the NDP will continue that the changes will create. The Liberals spoke about having a to support them. This is another one of this government's missed compassionate system that would respect human rights. They opportunities. mismanaged the situation at the border because they did not know I addressed my last point when I talked about the amendments to how to deal with President Trump's racist policies and the irregular the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Despite the govern- arrival of people at our borders, they made a de facto change to fix ment's repeated promises, it introduced a number of omnibus bills. the situation. At the end of the day, this change will violate the rights Some of them were even longer than the ones introduced by the of people who are seeking a better life here in Canada and who are previous government. That is a broken promise that violates our simply trying to start a process legitimately. rights as parliamentarians. [English] In closing, I would like to present an amendment: The Speaker: Before going on to the next question, members ● (2330) who do not already know, although I gather some do, will want to know that the Toronto Raptors just defeated the Golden State That the motion be amended by deleting all the words after the word “That” and substituting the following: Warriors 123 to 109. “the House decline to give third reading to C-97, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 19, 2019 and other The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader. measures, because it: ● (2340) (a) gives more to big business than to Canadians; (b) does not establish a universal pharmacare plan; Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the (c) does not solve the current housing crisis; Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): (d) maintains subsidies to oil companies; Mr. Speaker, I suspect 30 million-plus Canadians are quite happy to see the Raptors prevail. As they were watching the Raptors, we have (e) makes major changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that are unfair and fail to meet the standards of the process established by the Immigration been having a very challenging debate in the House of Commons on and Refugee Board of Canada; a budget that will impact many of those millions of people. I (f) is an omnibus bill that is contrary to this government's promises; and congratulate to the Raptors and the fans. (g) limits the Members' ability to vote separately on the various divisions of the Bill.” I think it is fair to say that sadly the NDP has been consistent over the last few years with respect to budgets. We have seen a ● (2335) government that has brought in many different progressive [English] measures. It shocks and surprises me the degree to which the NDP Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, continues to vote against what I would have thought it would vote CPC): Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the proposed NDP for. A good example of that is the housing issue. amendment. On the housing issue, the NDP made a commitment for a very I want to ask for his further reflections with respect to the small allocation in the last election. We, on the other hand, made a immigration sections of the budget. We have heard concerns from commitment of billions of dollars in the national housing strategy. many Canadians on the issue of shady consultants and the impact that has on Canadians when bad advice is given and this budget. Why does the NDP continuously not support good progressive Although it purports to make some changes, it falls short of the social policies? June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28653

Government Orders [Translation] money and left. That was the immigrant experience for so many Mr. Matthew Dubé: Mr. Speaker, it is extremely dishonest for a people who came then and come now and need to use every member to say that a party voted against a given measure when that advantage they can get just to get ahead. member knows full well that budgets contain many measures and that one can only vote against the budget as a whole. If we could I look at the economic reality that the government is presiding vote on individual measures, things would be different. over and it is one in which it is harder and harder for Canadians to get ahead, so I want to contrast the economic vision we see from the That gives me an opportunity to remind everyone that we are government and the alternative vision of the Conservatives. talking about an omnibus bill that deprives MPs of the right to vote on individual measures. Once again, they are preventing us from voting on individual elements. The government's approach, which we have heard in the speeches that were given tonight, is that if someone has a problem, the Just to prove how willing we are to do that when we are able to government has a program for that. If people are struggling with vote on separate elements, I would point out that, earlier today, we accessing the Internet, the government will have an access-the- voted in favour of an amendment that would have done exactly what Internet program. If people want new tires, the government will have the NDP wants to do with the housing file. The amendment was a new tires program. There is a program for every problem. Of proposed in committee by my colleague from Sherbrooke, but course, every time there is a new program, there are people to because it lacked a royal recommendation, the government had to administer the evaluation and delivery of those funds. Thus, in the come back with this one. name of providing help to the specific issues people face, and I do When a government maintains oil industry subsidies, refuses to not doubt that many members of the government are sincere in their tax web giants and refuses to protect workers' pensions, its intentions, the effect of it is the piling on of expenditure and progressive measures are really just half-measures that are not bureaucracy and on the other end of it, it is taxes. Taxing people nearly good enough. more and more is like trying to lift people up in the bucket they are standing in. [English] Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, The government purports to want to be more generous, but CPC): Mr. Speaker, this speech is well timed, because I know now generous with whose money? The effect of its constant growth in that the Raptors game is over. Canadians will now be able to switch program spending, with more bureaucracy and more administration, their dials back to CPAC and watch this, so I appreciate that. I am is that people have to pay more taxes. Not only do they have to pay very pleased about the Raptors' success this evening. I have been a more taxes today, but they feel a great deal of uncertainty about the long-term fan. For two weeks, I have been following the games and I taxes they will have to pay in the future. We know, and we have seen am sure that devotion is going to mean a lot for my continuing visits it before, that when governments run unplanned, uncontrolled to the ridings of the members across the way in the greater Toronto deficits, that leads to higher taxes, as surely as night follows day. The area. government is already imposing higher taxes on Canadians as a We are talking today about the budget implementation act and I result of its inability to control spending and people are worried that want to frame this by talking about what I think is on a lot of if that spending does not get under control, we are going to see Canadians' minds when they look at the budget. They are asking higher taxes in the future. themselves how they can get ahead. Frankly, a lot of Canadians are struggling to get ahead. They might be getting by, but not getting My friend from Winnipeg North spoke a lot tonight about his ahead. When I think about getting ahead, I think about my paternal favourite politician: Doug Ford. I would like to take us back to how grandfather. He just passed away a couple of weeks ago and it was Ontario got the challenges that it faces. I will share a little about my great to hear some of the stories shared at his funeral. My own province as well. In Ontario, there were successive Liberal grandfather came here as an immigrant from Malta with not very governments under Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. They much money. If there was someone who could get ahead, who could did not believe that the budget ever had to be balanced, so it seemed, make a looney go a little further, it was my grandfather. although at least they had a theoretical target for balancing the budget, which the federal government does not even have. They I remember one story he told us. He came from Malta right after wanted to convince people that the party could just go on forever. the Second World War. Malta was heavily bombed by the German Now Liberals are looking at the situation and asking why spending Air Force during the Second World War. When he bought his first could not just increase forever right now. car, he saw the ad in the paper, the guy came over and they negotiated a price of $300 for the car. The guy thought he recognized my grandfather's accent and asked where he was from. My ● (2345) grandfather answered that he was from the island of Malta. It turned out the guy he was talking to had served in the German Air We have to understand how we got here. The fiscal challenges that Force and the guy said he had dropped so many bombs on that Ontario experienced were created by multiple terms of reckless country. They talked back and forth a little and at the end of the day, spending. I believe that we can avoid that at the federal level. I my grandfather gave him $200. When the guy said he thought they believe that we can prevent this Prime Minister from doing to had agreed to $300, my grandfather said that was a discount for all Canada what Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne did to Ontario. the bombs he had dropped on his country, and the guy took the I believe we can avoid that kind of a situation. 28654 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Government Orders I think we can effectively manage spending and reduce taxes at applications, not by their ability to hire well-connected lobbyists and the same time, while continuing to invest. However, I think it is to justify their desire for more money in terms of whatever the important that we act now by replacing the Liberal government with government's priorities of the day are. I think we want to be the kind a government that actually understands the importance of balance of country where people succeed on the basis of their ingenuity, and prudence in our spending. acting independently from government, where government estab- lishes the framework, the infrastructure that allows them to succeed, I heard the member for Mississauga—Erin Mills talk about the U but then they are making those investments on their own. of T Mississauga in her riding. I have been to that university. Actually, I spoke at a number of events at that beautiful university in ● (2350) her riding. One of the big issues on the minds of students at that university, and other universities, is how they will have to pay back, In the past, the Conservative government was able to facilitate over the long term, the deficits, the debts that are being accumulated entrepreneurs' success by lowering business taxes. We saw that when today. we lowered business taxes, there was an increase in business tax Young people are aware of this. I have young children. I have revenue. The government was taking in more money from business three young children and one more on the way. My children should taxes because the government was creating the conditions in which not have to pay, in their future, for the things that I got to enjoy businesses were making greater investments. today. Some politicians in this place want to raise business taxes. The The government talks about all these areas in which it is spending government would like us to forget that when the Liberals first came more. However, it is going to cost the future. It is going to cost our into office, they tried to raise small business taxes. In fact, they did, children and our grandchildren. I asked the new member for but then they unraised them in response to subsequent criticism, and Outremont if the budget should ever be balanced, if there is a point at trumpeted that as some kind of great success. which she thinks the budget would be balanced. She told us that in the current conditions, it makes sense to be “investing”, which for It seems like yesterday when the Liberals told us that the fact that the Liberals is a code word for “spending more than we have”. If the they had appointed a minister for seniors showed how committed conditions are always, in their view, such that we should be spending they were to seniors. The member for Edmonton Mill Woods, whose more than we have, then eventually the Liberals are going to run out riding I look forward to visiting this Saturday, is applauding that. He of other people's money. Eventually the rubber is going to hit the may have forgotten that there was a minister of seniors throughout road. the tenure of the previous Conservative government. The minister of seniors position was then removed at the beginning of the Liberal Where does this thinking come from? How do they come to the mandate, but then in the final year they had this great idea of place of just not understanding this basic reality of the rubber hitting appointing a minister of seniors, and that demonstrated their the road, not understanding the reality that my grandfather under- commitment to seniors. stood? My grandfather understood, intuitively, when he negotiated a reduction in the price of his car that every dollar matters, every dollar counts. However, we have a government led by a Prime Minister The member for Edmonton Mill Woods is applauding. I have to who has never had to make those tough choices in his own life. say that I am looking forward to having the great back in Therefore, he does not recognize or appreciate the importance of the House of Commons. I know he is going to do a great job for the being prudent in his spending decisions. constituents of Edmonton Mill Woods. He is probably out door- knocking right now. It is not too late in Alberta to be doing that. We see these concerns that everyday people are facing in terms of Probably while he is doing that, he is talking about things like Bill the uncertainty that comes from high deficits and high taxes. They C-69 and Bill C-48, which the member for Edmonton Mill Woods are looking at their futures and they are saying, “Okay, the voted in favour of. government might be promising to spend more in this area, this area and that area, but in the long run, how can be confident that This is maybe a good point in which to transition to talk a little those investments will continue into the future if they are not made about the Alberta economy, because in Alberta we see continual from a balanced budget position?” attacks on our economy coming from the current government. We see legislation put forward that even the Alberta NDP saw problems The great advantage of a balanced budget situation is that when with. We see bills that essentially would make it impossible for new spending decisions are made in the context of a balanced budget, pipeline infrastructure to ever proceed in the future. We see so many people can have confidence that those investments will stay in place. efforts from the government to block the development of the natural However, we have seen, consistently, how when one does not spend resource economy in Alberta, and that is a particular source of within their means, eventually the rubber is going to have to hit the concern and anxiety in the greater Sherwood Park area in which I road. live. In addition to this, while the situation we have is creating economic uncertainty for individuals, it is also creating some level of What is the alternative to this vision that the government has put economic uncertainty in our business environment. We want to forward? It is an alternative Conservative government that lives aspire to be the sort of country where entrepreneurs succeed by within its means, that understands the importance of balancing having their own ideas, not by their ingenuity at filling out grant budgets over the medium term and believes in cutting taxes. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28655

Adjournment Proceedings I will respond to some of the comments that the member for China, India, the Philippines or other parts of the world who are Winnipeg North made about the Doug Harper or the Stephen Ford trying to come to Canada the right way and cannot just walk across government that he was talking about. What he said was that deficits the border. That is why we need to renegotiate the safe third country were run during the period of the previous government, which is agreement. true. We had a Liberal opposition that was calling for us to spend so much more, but we made the decision to have timely, targeted and I look forward to continuing the debate. temporary deficits in a time of economic recession that were focused on significant infrastructure investments, such as building up our ● (2400) university campuses and building up our roads. They were actual The Speaker: The hon. member will have two and a half minutes infrastructure investments, and we had a clearer, tighter, well-defined remaining in his speech when the House next resumes this topic. definition of infrastructure. These were investments that genuinely stimulated our economy, and we returned Canada to a balanced budget before the next election. Members across the way will say an “alleged” balanced budget, which was told to us by the alleged Parliamentary Budget Officer. ADJOURNMENT PROCEEDINGS

I know that the members across the way are worried that they will A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed not get their questions and comments in. They do not have to worry. to have been moved. I will be back here tomorrow morning, and I look forward to the questions that the members are going to ask. ● (2405) However, all of the spending commitments that were made by the [English] Conservatives were within the framework of a balanced budget plan, which means that Canadians could have confidence in them. When HOUSING we raised the guaranteed income supplement, when we introduced the universal child care benefit, which the Liberals have since Mr. Paul Manly (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, GP): Mr. Speaker, I renamed, when we supported families, when we brought in income appreciate this opportunity to discuss an important issue for splitting for parents with children, which the current government Nanaimo—Ladysmith. took away, and when we offered these forms of vital support, Canadians could have confidence that those investments were going We have an affordable housing crisis in my constituency. Our to stay in place. region has had a rapid rise in home prices and rental costs. It is the inevitable consequence of skyrocketing house prices in Vancouver (2355) ● and people moving to the island. It is also related to speculation and Where did this way of thinking come from? Our leader money laundering in B.C. real estate. As houses are sold, renovated understands what it means to live within a budget. That is his and flipped, the price of rental stock has gone up along with the cost experience and the experience of his family. He understands what of buying homes. The most vulnerable people in our community, everyday families are going through in struggling to get ahead. low-income renters, people with disabilities, low-income seniors and single-parent families, are forced to move and are finding it I also want to comment on the government's immigration policy, increasingly difficult to find affordable places to rent. because there is discussion of immigration in the budget. The government's immigration policy is very clearly not as advertised. For the last three years, I ran employment skills training programs With respect to the issue of illegal immigration into Canada, we for young people with barriers to employment. Of the 60 people I have had an epidemic of illegal immigration under the current had in my 15-week program, six experienced homelessness while government. For a long time, it tried to demonize the opposition for they were in the program. The homes they were living in were sold even raising this concern. Then, the government's bright idea was to or renovated and they could not find affordable places to live. I have appoint a minister responsible for the border who is not actually heard similar stories from seniors. responsible for the Canada Border Services Agency. Finally, with this budget, it brought forward measures that attempted to respond to During the Nanaimo—Ladysmith by-election, I heard over and the issue. However, the government has not taken any action on the over again that people were struggling with the cost of housing. I need to renegotiate the safe third country agreement, for instance, or met a young single mother with two children who lived in a on the need to change the tone. campground last summer. She found a place to live in the fall and had that home sold out from under her six months later. She has been Where do I hear most about these problems in our immigration dealing with a housing cycle like that for several years. There is no system? I hear about them in my riding, to be sure, but I hear a lot stability for her children. about them in ridings like Edmonton Mill Woods, Winnipeg North, York Centre and Etobicoke—Lakeshore. People there are very This is simply not acceptable in a country as wealthy as Canada. concerned about these issues, because they know the costs and the We have homeless people living in our parks and bushes around the challenges of coming to Canada the right way. They do not believe it community. There are people who are couch surfing and homeless. is right when people can take advantage of the fact that they are in On any given evening, we can see people sleeping in cars in parking the United States and can walk into Canada. It is not fair to those in lots and on the street. 28656 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Adjournment Proceedings Last summer, we had a major homeless camp in downtown Our government has invested close to $7 billion already, above Nanaimo with hundreds of people living there. Many of the people and beyond what was forecast from the previous government, into living in this camp were indigenous, and there were a number of new housing starts right across the country. It has put together what people with mental health and addiction issues. A few of the is now a $55-billion 10-year program to turn this country's housing homeless people who were desperate and in survival mode engaged situation around and make sure that Canadians from coast to coast to in criminality. There was a growing community backlash to the coast, most importantly indigenous Canadians and certainly camp. Homeless people were threatened and bottles thrown at them Canadians of indigenous heritage in urban settings, get the housing in the camp at night. Some were physically attacked in the streets. they require. We had the Soldiers of Odin marching in our streets and threatening vigilante action against the people in the camp. The businesses in the downtown core suffered from a loss of revenue as people avoided British Columbia is much like the province I come from, in that our downtown. the major city has had an explosion of housing starts, but at the same time the market just has not provided for people with disabilities, the B.C. Housing set up emergency temporary housing for people in elderly, people on fixed incomes, as well as new Canadians who the camp, but the homeless people who were not in the camp did not have not quite gotten their feet underneath them as they make their get the same access to this emergency housing. This emergency way in this country. There are significant challenges all the way housing is only a band-aid, but it does not cover the whole wound. around. People with disabilities, of course, are also on that list, as are The homeless situation in my constituency is exacerbated by a lack people being discharged from hospital or from prison who get of mental health and addictions services. discharged into homelessness, which is part of the institutional gapping that happens in this country, and part of what this country We need help in Nanaimo—Ladysmith. We need more purpose- has to address systematically to make sure it puts an end to the flow built, affordable, energy-efficient housing. Developers and builders into homelessness as we try to deplete what is a horrible cohort of are not going to create low-income housing without incentives from people, in terms of the circumstances they live in, that has to be the government. They are in business. Affordable rental units cannot addressed by ending homelessness. compete with the margins available for market housing. I have been to British Columbia. In fact, in its first three and a half We could really use some co-operative housing in our community. years, our government has invested in 99 specific projects that run Co-op housing is an excellent model for affordable housing. Co-ops the full range of housing needs that need to be met in British are owned by the community they are in and they are not susceptible Columbia. In Campbell River, we broke ground on a housing project to real estate speculation, changing ownership or rent evictions. to deal with people with developmental disabilities. People pay rent based on their incomes. If they start to earn more, they pay more. If people lose their jobs they do not lose their homes. Seniors can age in place. The federal government needs to support The project in Nanaimo, which I have discussed with my co-op housing the way it did decades ago. colleague opposite, is one of the most beautiful and most energy- efficient passive housing programs in the country, run by a The City of Nanaimo is struggling with this affordable housing friendship centre, which has shown us and the rest of the country crisis. I would like to know what the government can do now to help not only how to deliver good, strong, affordable community housing our community with this crisis. What emergency measures is the for youth coming out of care, for elders in the community as well as government prepared to take to help with this crisis right now, not for families, but how to do it in such a way that it would actually next year, not in two years or four years, but now? come in under budget and produce remarkable results in terms of Mr. Adam Vaughan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister greenhouse gas reductions. of Families, Children and Social Development (Housing and Urban Affairs), Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I often say that it is always a Our investments in Victoria are going to bring Victoria to good day, or a good night, when we can discuss housing in this functional zero in terms of homelessness within two years. In House, because there is no issue more important to me and more Vancouver, the modular housing we have invested in is dealing with important to the residents I represent, and in fact more important to people from tent cities and getting them into good, strong, supportive this government, than making sure we get the housing system we housing programs that put an end to their homelessness. need for this country.

That is why today we passed historic legislation on the right to This government is committed with its program. The money is housing, the progressive realization in a systemic way of making being spent now, as we speak. It is a 10-year program, so the math sure that every Canadian has a place to call home that is safe, secure tells us that some of it comes after the next election. A lot of it comes and affordable. after the next election, because not only are we building new housing and repairing new housing, but we are also subsidizing the housing However, building housing alone does not work. As the member to make it affordable. Adding 1,000 units in Nanaimo this year and opposite has accurately identified, housing with supports is as 1,000 next year and the year after that means that the subsidy has to critical a part of the process as repairing housing, as delivering grow from 1,000 units to 2,000 to 3,000. Any party that says, and the emergency responses to housing needs, and as building long-term, NDP does it quite often, that we should not back-end load housing sustainable solutions. programs has never run a housing system. June 5, 2019 COMMONS DEBATES 28657

Adjournment Proceedings We are proud of the national housing strategy. We are proud of the Then he received an open letter, signed by 183 countries and rights-based framework that we put into legislation to make sure that NGOs, urging him to do something to address the many instances in no future government can ever back out of the housing program, and which Canadian mining companies were associated with human we are very proud of our results in British Columbia, working with a rights and environmental abuses. good, strong provincial government that also understands how critical this is. We hope the parties in this House can support our Four United Nations bodies have called on Canada to hold investments, because they are good, they are strong and they are Canadian companies accountable for their operations overseas. The making a difference. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has had three Mr. Paul Manly: Mr. Speaker, this is a crisis that did not develop hearings on the subject. overnight. This is the result of years of budget cuts and neglect. This is not something that is going to be fixed overnight. I appreciate In January 2018, the Minister of International Trade held a flashy what the hon. member has said about the actions that the government press conference, replete with labour leaders and important is taking, but what we need now is emergency measures. stakeholders, to announce the government's intention of establishing an office of the Canadian ombudsperson for responsible enterprise or We need help with housing in Nanaimo and Ladysmith right now. CORE. It was an impressive photo op, one that presented an air of We have people who are living on the streets. We have people who expectation of action. are vulnerable in our communities and it is a shame. It is a national shame to have people who are vulnerable and living homeless in this country, a country with so much wealth. The minister confidently declaimed, “The progressive trade agenda...includes Canada’s strong commitment to responsible I would like to know what we can do to deal with this issue now, business conduct and the respect for human rights of workers and to get some modular housing into Nanaimo to help these people who local stakeholders in Canada and around the world.” He continued, are in need and to ensure that people have a good, secure place to “The ombudsperson will be mandated to independently investigate live. allegations of human rights abuses arising from a Canadian ● (2410) company’s activity abroad.” Mr. Adam Vaughan: Mr. Speaker, British Columbia has led the way in evolving modular housing. We have supported the programs Flash forward 15 months, in the fourth year of the government's proposed by cities there, particularly the City of Vancouver and the mandate, and what do we have? After this long wait and much City of Burnaby as well. Those investments have shown us a way to inaction, the international trade minister announced that a former build modular housing. I would be happy to walk the member petroleum industry lobbyist had been appointed as the ombudsper- opposite through the program that gets us there. son, but that the proposed investigatory powers the government clearly stated CORE would have were under legal review for a The other thing our government did upon taking office, beyond month. Seriously? tripling transfers to provinces, which is a large part of where British Columbia gets its dollars to build its housing, was double the money For years we have been asking the government what would for homelessness. To put this into context, the Conservatives were happen when it enacted such an office without using a legislative prepared to see that program lapse, the Green Party had no policy on process. It is cutting the powers. It befuddles me that it does not it and the NDP was only going to spend an extra $10 million on what understand the difference in what was done and the concerns that is properly described as an emergency. have been raised around the world about this shortcoming. We have put more than $2.2 billion into this program over the next 10 years. We have extended the number of designated The ombudsperson's power is limited to recommending the communities. We created a separate, distinct indigenous-based government withdraw economic and political support for companies program for communities right across the country, a different rural that refuse to participate in the process in good faith. The New strategy and a strategy for the territories. We have also changed the Democrats and stakeholders, as well as the UN, have repeatedly told rules of housing first so it can be used to prevent homelessness rather Canada that this approach simply does not work. than just solve it after it has been on the streets in the communities for six months. We have also stepped up to ensure that women— It is quite obvious the government has a serious problem when it The Speaker: Order, please. The hon. member for Windsor— comes to corporate accountability. The SNC-Lavalin saga offered a Tecumseh. glimpse into the extraordinary influence that one powerful company could have on Canadian politicians at the highest level. INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Ms. Cheryl Hardcastle (Windsor—Tecumseh, NDP): Mr. The people of my constituency champion social justice around the Speaker, during the 2015 election, the Liberals repeatedly promised world and they expect the corporations that they patronize and work voters they would act to improve the record of Canadian companies for to be transparent and accountable when it comes to corporate operating abroad. ethics. In 2016, after the election, the Prime Minister went to the UN and declared “Canada's back”. He said that Canada would pursue a seat Therefore, I ask the government to inform the Canadian public on the security council. how and when it intends to honour its commitments fully. 28658 COMMONS DEBATES June 5, 2019

Adjournment Proceedings ● (2415) want to come up with ideas and find solutions that will minimize the Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the negative impact. This is where I believe Canada can demonstrate Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): leadership, and we have done that in terms of the ombudsperson. Mr. Speaker, I do not support the overall characterization the Ms. Cheryl Hardcastle: Mr. Speaker, we are no further ahead member is trying to put on the record in terms of what this after all that. The Conservative government had an arrangement in government has been able to accomplish over the last four years. We place that gave us exactly what we have right now. That is a shame. have many strong advocates within our caucus. Almost every There is an immediacy when it comes to the human rights aspects of member of the Liberal caucus feels that corporations have a this issue. responsibility not only within Canada but internationally. Besides the cases the Canadian courts have agreed to hear, there is We do not need to be lectured by New Democrats on this issue. In a legal argument mounting globally that governments and corpora- the last four years, we have seen more movement by this Liberal tions have a duty of care to protect citizens, consumers and investors government than we saw with Stephen Harper in the previous 10 from risk. years. The member referenced a couple of the actions and then started This is the international community. This is several countries that mocking them, saying that they are not going to make a difference. I already have legislation in place on corporate accountability. These beg to differ. Our government has taken action. It has fulfilled its are countries that already have modern slavery and supply chain commitment. transparency and due diligence reporting mechanisms in place. Canada has none of these— Building on Canada's existing expertise in leadership, the (2420) government announced two initiatives to strengthen Canada's ● approach to responsible business conduct abroad. We created the The Speaker: Order, please. The time has expired for the hon. Canadian ombudsperson for responsible enterprise, and we created a member. multi-stakeholder advisory body on responsible business conduct, made up of experts from industry and civil society, to advise the The hon. parliamentary secretary. government. Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, the member stands in her On April 8 of this year, our government appointed Sheri place and says that Canada is no further ahead. I will for repeat that Meyerhoffer the Canadian ombudsperson for responsible enterprise, on April 8 of this year we appointed Sheri Meyerhoffer as the first the first position of its kind in the world. Ms. Meyerhoffer took Canadian ombudsperson for responsible enterprise, the first position office on May 1 and is actively engaged with stakeholders across of its kind in the world. Canada. That member says that we have done nothing. That is something I would like to emphasize that this is something unique in the and it is significant. It is one of the examples I am citing to world. Canada, even though it has a population base of 36 million demonstrate very clearly that Canada at times has done exceptionally people, is often looked at by other countries in terms of having well at showing strong leadership on important social issues. This is leadership. Corporate responsibility is an area in which we have a tangible example where Canada is making a difference and demonstrated leadership. Think about it. In only three and a half contributing to a healthier world corporate sector. years, with many different priorities, our government was able to identify this, because we told Canadians in the last election I appreciate the question this evening even though I disagree with campaign that we would act on it, and we have done just that. the— Our government has acted on the important issue of corporate The Speaker: Order, please. The hon. member for Bow River is responsibility. not present to raise that matter for which adjournment notice has been given. Accordingly, the notice is deemed withdrawn. Private member's bills have been introduced by current and past members of the Liberal caucus that deal with corporate responsibility [Translation] abroad. It pleases me to indicate to the House and to those who might be following this debate that our government is committed to The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been many different social causes. This is but one of those issues. adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until later this day at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). There are many horrific stories around the world involving corporate abuse or misconduct. We are very much aware of it. We (The House adjourned at 12:22 a.m.)

CONTENTS

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS International Trade Mr. Berthold...... 28577 D-Day Ms. Bibeau ...... 28577 Mr. Boudrias ...... 28573 Mr. Berthold...... 28577 Jim Dolan Ms. Bibeau ...... 28578 Mr. Badawey ...... 28573 Taxation Public Safety Mr. Julian...... 28578 Mr. Motz ...... 28573 Mr. Garneau ...... 28578 Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Mill Ms. Brosseau ...... 28578 Mr. Garneau ...... 28578 Ms. Hutchings ...... 28573 Laurier—Sainte-Marie Canadian Heritage Ms. Brosseau ...... 28578 Ms. Laverdière ...... 28574 Mr. Rodriguez ...... 28578 Status of Women Mr. Julian...... 28578 Mr. Duguid ...... 28574 Mr. Rodriguez ...... 28579 75th Anniversary of D-Day Intergovernmental Relations ...... Mr. Nater 28574 Mr. Rayes ...... 28579 Cultural Unity Mr. Champagne ...... 28579

Mr. Hogg ...... 28574 Mr. Rayes ...... 28579 Mr. Champagne ...... 28579 Levi Oakes Mr. Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs) 28574 Interprovincial Trade Mr. Albas ...... 28579 Status of Women Mr. Champagne ...... 28579 Mrs. Block ...... 28575 Mr. Barlow ...... 28579 Status of Women Mr. Champagne ...... 28579 Ms. Vandenbeld ...... 28575 Natural Resources International Women's Day Mr. Schmale ...... 28580 Mr. Dubourg...... 28575 Mr. Sohi ...... 28580 Mrs. Stubbs...... 28580 2019 General Election Mr. Sohi ...... 28580 Mr. Clarke ...... 28575 The Environment Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge Mr. Aubin ...... 28580 Mr. Ruimy...... 28576 Mr. Garneau ...... 28580 Indigenous Affairs Indigenous Affairs Ms. Kwan ...... 28576 Ms. Kwan ...... 28580 The Environment Ms. Bennett ...... 28580 Mr. Barrett...... 28576 Public Safety Canada Child Benefit Mr. Paul-Hus ...... 28581 Mr. Boissonnault ...... 28576 Mr. Goodale ...... 28581 Mr. Paul-Hus ...... 28581 ORAL QUESTIONS Mr. Goodale ...... 28581 International Trade Auditor General of Canada Ms. Bergen ...... 28577 Mr. Brassard ...... 28581 Ms. Bibeau ...... 28577 Ms. Murray...... 28581 Foreign Affairs Mr. Brassard ...... 28581 Ms. Murray...... 28581 Ms. Bergen ...... 28577 Ms. Joly ...... 28577 Employment Insurance Ms. Bergen ...... 28577 Ms. Sansoucy...... 28582 Ms. Joly ...... 28577 Mr. Duclos ...... 28582 Ms. Ashton ...... 28582 GOVERNMENT ORDERS Mr. Duclos ...... 28582 Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1 The Environment Bill C-97. Report stage...... 28587

Mr. Bossio...... 28582 Motions Nos. 1 to 17 negatived ...... 28588

Ms. McKenna ...... 28582 Motions Nos. 18 to 33 negatived ...... 28589 Motions Nos. 34 to 43 negatived ...... 28590 Government Priorities Motions Nos. 44 to 51, 53 and 54 negatived...... 28591 Mr. Gourde ...... 28582 Motion No. 52 negatived ...... 28592 Mr. Lightbound...... 28582 Motion No. 55 agreed to ...... 28593 Mr. Richards...... 28583 Motions Nos. 56 and 57 negatived ...... 28594 Mr. Lightbound...... 28583 Mr. Sohi (for the Minister of Finance) ...... 28594 The Environment Bill C-97. Motion for concurrence...... 28594

Mr. Godin ...... 28583 Motion agreed to ...... 28596

Ms. McKenna ...... 28583

Mr. Fast...... 28583 ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Ms. McKenna ...... 28583 Government Response to Petitions Canadian Heritage Mr. Lamoureux ...... 28596

Mr. Nantel ...... 28583 Customs Tariff

Mr. Rodriguez ...... 28583 Mr. Sohi (for the Minister of Finance) ...... 28596 Bill C-101. Introduction and first reading ...... 28596 Dairy Industry (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and Mr. MacGregor ...... 28584 printed) ...... 28596 Ms. Bibeau ...... 28584 Interparliamentary Delegations Natural Resources Ms. Damoff...... 28596 Mr. Falk (Provencher) ...... 28584 Committees of the House Mr. Sohi ...... 28584 Indigenous and Northern Affairs Forestry Industry Ms. Mihychuk ...... 28596 Mrs. McLeod (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo)...... 28584 Procedure and House Affairs Mr. Sohi ...... 28584 Mr. Bagnell...... 28596

Mr. Doherty ...... 28584 Justice and Human Rights

Mr. Oliphant...... 28584 Mr. Housefather ...... 28596 Liaison Tourism Industry Ms. Sgro...... 28596 Mr. Aldag ...... 28585 Health Ms. Joly ...... 28585 Mr. Casey (Cumberland—Colchester) ...... 28596 Official Languages Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Act Mr. Clarke ...... 28585 Mr. Erskine-Smith ...... 28596 Ms. Joly ...... 28585 Bill C-454. Introduction and first reading ...... 28596 Telecommunications (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) ...... 28597 Mr. Dubé ...... 28585

Mr. Massé (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia) .. 28585 Petitions Physician-Assisted Dying Public Safety Mr. Anderson...... 28597 Mr. Graham ...... 28585 Rural Crime Mr. Garneau ...... 28585 Mr. Anderson...... 28597 Privacy Agriculture Mr. McCauley ...... 28586 Mr. Anderson...... 28597

Ms. Qualtrough...... 28586 Iran Ms. Laverdière ...... 28597 Rail Transportation The Environment Ms. Pauzé ...... 28586 Mr. Paradis ...... 28597 Mr. Garneau ...... 28586 Palliative Care Points of Order Mr. Van Kesteren...... 28597 Oral Questions Physician-Assisted Dying Ms. Harder ...... 28586 Mr. Van Kesteren...... 28597 Official Languages Ms. Boutin-Sweet ...... 28621 Mr. Choquette ...... 28597 Mr. Sorenson ...... 28622 Agriculture Mr. Van Kesteren...... 28623 Mr. Nater ...... 28597 Mr. Sopuck ...... 28625 Status of Women Ms. Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) ...... 28626 Ms. Benson...... 28598 Mr. Rankin ...... 28628 Consumer Protection Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1 Ms. Harder ...... 28598 Bill C-97. Third reading ...... 28629 The Environment Mr. Kmiec ...... 28629 Ms. Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) ...... 28598 Mr. Housefather ...... 28633 Pharmacare Mr. Dusseault...... 28633 Ms. Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) ...... 28598 Mr. Genuis ...... 28633 Forced Migration Mr. Vaughan...... 28634 Ms. Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) ...... 28598 Mr. Dusseault...... 28634 Vision Care Ms. Bendayan ...... 28636 Mrs. Hughes...... 28598 Mr. Albas ...... 28637 Plastics Mr. Aubin ...... 28637 Mr. Manly ...... 28598 Mr. Housefather ...... 28637 Veterans Affairs Ms. Bendayan ...... 28638 Mr. Manly ...... 28599 Mr. Genuis ...... 28639 Questions on the Order Paper Mr. Duguid ...... 28639 Mr. Lamoureux ...... 28599 Ms. Khalid ...... 28640 Motions for Papers Mr. Aboultaif ...... 28641 ...... Mr. Lamoureux ...... 28599 Mr. Duvall 28641 Mr. Albas ...... 28642 GOVERNMENT ORDERS Mr. Whalen...... 28643 Mr. Strahl...... 28643 Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1 Mr. Maguire ...... 28644 Mr. Sohi (for the Minister of Finance) ...... 28599 Mr. Whalen...... 28645 Bill C-97. Third reading ...... 28599 Mr. Duguid ...... 28646 Mr. Lightbound...... 28599 Mr. Duguid ...... 28646 Mr. Genuis ...... 28647 PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Mr. Duvall ...... 28648 Health Care Delivery in Rural Canada Mr. Lamoureux ...... 28648 Mr. Nault ...... 28602 Mr. Genuis ...... 28649 Motion ...... 28602 Mr. Zimmer...... 28649 Ms. Leitch ...... 28604 Mr. Falk (Provencher) ...... 28650 Ms. Moore...... 28605 Mr. Duguid ...... 28651 Ms. Gladu ...... 28605 Mr. Graham ...... 28651 Ms. Moore...... 28607 Mr. Zimmer...... 28651 Mr. Samson...... 28608 Mr. Dubé ...... 28651 Mr. Lobb ...... 28609 Amendment...... 28652 Mr. Genuis ...... 28652 GOVERNMENT ORDERS Mr. Lamoureux ...... 28652 Members Not Seeking Re-Election to the 43rd Parlia- Mr. Genuis ...... 28653 ment Ms. Goldsmith-Jones ...... 28610 ADJOURNMENT PROCEEDINGS Mr. Oliver ...... 28612 Housing Ms. Leitch ...... 28614 Mr. Manly ...... 28655 Mr. Eglinski ...... 28615 Mr. Vaughan...... 28656 Mr. Trost ...... 28617 International Trade Ms. Quach...... 28617 Ms. Hardcastle ...... 28657 Mr. Cullen ...... 28619 Mr. Lamoureux ...... 28658 Published under the authority of the Speaker of Publié en conformité de l’autorité the House of Commons du Président de la Chambre des communes SPEAKER’S PERMISSION PERMISSION DU PRÉSIDENT

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